2027 Elections: APC completes candidate upload ahead of INEC deadline — Yilwatda

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has announced that the party has completed the upload of its candidates for all elective positions in the 2027 general elections on the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Yilwatda disclosed this at the weekend following the completion of the exercise, which he said was concluded before the expiration of INEC’s original deadline.

According to the APC chairman, the exercise covered candidates for the State Houses of Assembly, governorship, National Assembly and presidential elections.

He said the successful completion of the process demonstrated the party’s organisational capacity and preparedness for the 2027 elections.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, Yilwatda said the exercise required the coordination of the party’s structures, candidates and election management teams across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Yilwatda said the APC completed the process within the original timeframe, while some other political parties subsequently appealed to INEC for additional time to conclude their submissions.

INEC later extended the deadline for political parties to submit their candidates’ lists from Saturday, August 8, 2026, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.

The APC chairman said the party’s early completion of the process reflected the importance of planning and coordination in managing a nationwide political organisation.

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

“This is what organisation, discipline and responsible political leadership mean,” he said.

Yilwatda said the 2027 elections would require political parties to demonstrate effective preparation and coordination given the scale of the electoral process.

He noted that the candidate-upload exercise involved coordination among the party’s national secretariat, state chapters, candidates and other party structures.

The APC chairman also urged Nigerians to assess political parties not only on their campaign promises but also on their organisational capacity, internal systems and compliance with electoral regulations.

He said completing the upload ahead of the original deadline would enable the party to concentrate on other areas of its preparations for the 2027 elections.

These, he said, include campaign coordination, candidate engagement, voter mobilisation, grassroots organisation and policy communication.

Yilwatda commended members of the APC National Working Committee, state party leadership, candidates, election management teams and other officials involved in the exercise.

“The work has only begun. Completing the upload ahead of schedule gives us confidence, but it also places a greater responsibility on us. We must remain united, disciplined and focused,” he said.

He added that the party would continue to strengthen its structures and systems as it prepares for the 2027 general elections.