APC Completes Upload of Candidates Ahead of INEC Deadline

The All Progressives Congress (APC) says it has successfully uploaded all its candidates for the 2027 general election to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal before the original deadline.

The party’s National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, announced the development over the weekend, describing it as evidence of the APC’s organisational strength, discipline and readiness for the forthcoming elections.

According to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, the APC completed the nomination, documentation, verification and electronic submission of candidates across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory before the initial August 8 deadline.

Yilwatda noted that while some political parties were still seeking more time to complete their submissions, the APC had finished the process within the stipulated timeframe.

Following requests from other parties, INEC later extended the deadline for candidate upload to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.

The APC chairman said the exercise showed that the party had moved beyond “the politics of slogans” to a system driven by planning, structure, coordination and execution.

“The APC has once again demonstrated that we are prepared for the responsibility of governing Nigeria,” he said.

“We did not wait until the last minute. We planned ahead, coordinated our structures and ensured that our candidates were successfully uploaded before the expiration of the original deadline.”

Yilwatda described the successful completion of the upload as significant, noting that the 2027 elections would be among the most important in Nigeria’s democratic history.

He stressed that governance requires planning, coordination, discipline and competence, adding that Nigerians should consider the organisational capacity of political parties when assessing their suitability for leadership.

According to him, a party that cannot effectively manage its internal processes and meet statutory deadlines raises questions about its ability to govern a complex country like Nigeria.

The APC chairman urged Nigerians to judge parties not only by campaign promises but also by their internal systems, preparedness, capacity to manage people and resources, and compliance with electoral regulations.

He added that completing the upload ahead of schedule would allow the APC to concentrate on other aspects of its 2027 preparations, including campaign coordination, voter mobilisation, grassroots organisation, policy communication and reconciliation.

Yilwatda also commended members of the APC National Working Committee, state party leaders, candidates and election management teams for their contributions to the exercise.

“The work has only begun,” he said. “We must remain united, disciplined and focused as we take the message of Renewed Hope to every community across the country.”