Former presidential candidate and energy entrepreneur, Dr Gbenga Hashim, has called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the nation’s electoral process by advocating a shift of political party primaries to September, in line with provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has extended the sale and submission deadlines for its nomination and expression of interest forms ahead of the party’s primaries. The sale of forms now ends on May 4, and submission on May 5.

Recall that the National Chairman of APC, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, said on Wednesday that there was no plan to extend the sale of the forms for aspirants seeking tickets to contest the 2027 general elections.

Yilwatda made the ‘no extension’ comment while briefing journalists during his visit to Abuja Continental Hotel, formerly Sheraton, where the forms are being sold.

In an open letter addressed to the President, Hashim warned that the rush towards early primaries could undermine internal party democracy and weaken the credibility of the 2027 general elections.

Stressing that Section 29(1) of the amended Electoral Act provides a broader window for parties to conduct their primaries up to mid-September, he argued that adherence to this timeline would enhance transparency, inclusiveness and fairness in the electoral process.

“The present timetable constricts the latitude of political parties to conduct their primaries. There is a need to allow sufficient time, as envisaged by law, for parties to organise credible and participatory primaries,” he stated.

ADDRESSING journalists after the 187th meeting of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) yesterday in Abuja, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Duro Meseko, said the sale of forms, initially scheduled to end on May 2, would close at midnight on Monday, May 4, 2026.

He added that submission of completed forms had also been shifted from May 2 to midnight on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, explaining that the adjustment became necessary following a surge in requests from aspirants, partly due to the disruption caused by the May Day public holiday.

APC maintained that all other timelines remained unchanged, adding that screening of aspirants would commence as earlier scheduled on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, with subsequent primary election activities proceeding as planned.

Reacting to reports of disorder at the venue of form sales, the APC spokesperson said he was not aware of any official being barred but acknowledged the presence of large crowds. He attributed the situation to the influx of supporters accompanying aspirants, which sometimes leads to congestion and tension.

On allegations that some governors were obstructing the sale of forms to House of Assembly aspirants, he dismissed the claims as false and misleading, clarifying that the process was centrally managed by party officials from the national secretariat, not state governments.