APC Boasts Of Meeting INEC Deadline, Faults Opposition Over Extension

APC Boasts Of Meeting INEC Deadline, Faults Opposition Over Extension
The ruling party said it met the original July 11 deadline.
APC described its compliance as evidence of organisational discipline and readiness.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has claimed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) extended the deadline for the submission of candidates for the 2027 general election because opposition political parties failed to meet the initial deadline.

In a statement issued on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the ruling party said the development showed that opposition parties were not adequately prepared for the forthcoming elections.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the APC stated that despite fielding a large number of candidates across various elective positions, it successfully uploaded the details of all its candidates before the initial July 11 deadline.

INEC had earlier announced an extension of the deadline for political parties to upload the particulars of their candidates after receiving an appeal from the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) on behalf of parties that were unable to complete the process within the stipulated period.

Reacting to the extension, the APC said INEC acted within its constitutional and administrative powers but argued that the decision highlighted what it described as the opposition’s inability to effectively manage its internal processes.

“The All Progressives Congress (APC) is pleased to announce that it successfully met the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) deadline for the submission of names of its candidates for the 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections. Our great Party satisfied this requirement despite the large number of Party candidates contesting on the Party’s platform for the various elective offices.

“At the request of opposition political parties that had failed to meet the July 11 deadline, INEC granted an extension of the deadline to July 14, 2026,” the statement read.

The ruling party said it was ironic that opposition parties, which had repeatedly accused the APC of influencing INEC’s decisions, later sought relief from the same electoral body after missing the deadline.

“It is starkly ironical that the same opposition parties have repeatedly peddled false, malicious and unfounded tales that the APC controls and dictates INEC’s decisions. Yet, as they failed to meet the submission deadline, they shamelessly turned to the same INEC for respite and were granted an extension,” the party said.

The APC maintained that its ability to complete the nomination process within the stipulated timeframe demonstrated its organisational strength, discipline and commitment to due process.

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

APC Boasts Of Meeting INEC Deadline

According to the APC, these efforts will position the party for an issue-based campaign aimed at securing another electoral victory in the 2027 general election.