The All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticised opposition political parties for failing to meet the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deadline for the submission of candidates for the 2027 general election, describing the development as evidence of their lack of preparedness to govern.

 

In a statement issued on Sunday by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the ruling party said it successfully submitted the names and particulars of all its presidential, National Assembly and other relevant candidates before the original July 11 deadline set by INEC.

 

 

The party noted that while INEC later extended the deadline to July 14, 2026, following requests from opposition parties that failed to complete their submissions, the APC had already fulfilled all the commission’s requirements.

 

According to the APC, the extension, though within INEC’s statutory powers and administrative discretion, was necessitated by the opposition’s inability to effectively manage its internal nomination processes despite having fewer candidates than the ruling party.

 

 

The party argued that the development raises serious questions about the opposition’s organisational capacity and readiness to govern.

 

“Political parties that cannot efficiently conclude their own internal nomination processes cannot possibly be trusted by Nigerians to possess the competence, discipline or readiness to govern our great nation or its sub-national governments,” the statement said.

 

The APC also accused opposition parties of hypocrisy, noting that they had repeatedly alleged that the ruling party controls INEC, yet sought relief from the same electoral commission after failing to meet the submission deadline.

 

According to the party, if INEC had maintained the original deadline, the APC would have been the obvious beneficiary, having completed its submissions within the stipulated timeframe.

 

The ruling party said the successful upload of the particulars of its presidential, vice-presidential, Senate and House of Representatives candidates demonstrates its organisational strength, discipline and commitment to due process.

 

The APC further called on its leaders, stakeholders, members and supporters to shift focus to preparations for the 2027 general election by strengthening party structures, intensifying grassroots mobilisation and promoting the achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

 

The party said it remains committed to running what it described as a vigorous, issue-based campaign aimed at securing a fresh mandate from Nigerians in the 2027 general elections.