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 presidential and National Assembly elections, describing the development as evidence of their lack of preparedness.
The ruling party said it successfully uploaded the names and particulars of all its candidates for the presidential, vice-presidential, Senate and House of Representatives elections before the July 11 deadline set by the electoral commission.
In a statement issued on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the APC said it complied with the deadline despite managing a significantly larger number of candidates across the country.
According to the party, INEC later extended the submission deadline to July 14 following requests from opposition parties that were unable to complete their nomination processes before the original closing date.
While acknowledging that the electoral commission acted within its legal powers by granting the extension, the APC argued that the development exposed what it described as the opposition’s inability to effectively manage its internal affairs.
The statement read: “While INEC acted within its statutory powers and administrative discretion in extending the deadline for opposition parties to upload names of their candidates, it is noteworthy that the extension was necessitated by the stark failure of opposition parties to manage their internal processes to comply with INEC’s submission deadline despite having fewer candidates to manage compared to the APC.”
The party maintained that the missed deadline raises concerns about the opposition’s capacity to govern if entrusted with public office.
It stated: “This development provides yet another clear indication of the opposition’s chronic inherent weakness and raises legitimate questions about their operational capacity. 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 subnational governments.”
The APC also accused opposition parties of contradicting themselves by seeking relief from INEC after previously alleging that the commission was under the influence of the ruling party.
The statement added: “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. And the same APC that would have been the obvious beneficiary if INEC had stood firm on its original deadline, kept its distance, having met the deadline and completed its submission. Again, this underscores the oppositions’ hypocrisy, and true character as peddlers of fake news and merchants of blackmail.”
The ruling party said the successful submission of its candidates further demonstrates its organisational strength, discipline and commitment to due process.
“With the successful upload of particulars of all its Presidential, Vice Presidential, Senate, and House of Representatives candidates on the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal, APC has, again, demonstrated its leadership and superior organisational capacity, discipline, and solid commitment to due process,” the statement said.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, the party urged its members and supporters across the country to intensify grassroots mobilisation and promote the achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
It said: “As we conclude this important phase of the electoral process, we call on all Party leaders, stakeholders, members, and supporters to turn their full attention to the task ahead. We must remain focused and continue to strengthen our structures at all levels, increase awareness of the massive achievements under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, deepen grassroots mobilisation, and prepare for a vigorous, issue-based campaign that will earn our great Party a renewed mandate in the 2027 general elections.”
