The All Progressives Congress (APC) has completed the upload of all its candidates for the 2027 general elections on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal, ahead of the Commission’s original deadline.
National Chairman of the party, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda Goshwe, disclosed this at the weekend, describing the development as evidence of the APC’s organisational strength, discipline and preparedness for the 2027 elections.
Yilwatda said the party successfully uploaded candidates for all elective positions, from the State Houses of Assembly to the presidency, within the stipulated timeframe.
According to him, the achievement demonstrates that the APC has moved beyond “the politics of slogans to the politics of structure, planning, systems and execution.”
He noted that while the APC completed the exercise within the original timeframe, some other political parties were still working to meet the deadline and had appealed to INEC for additional time.
INEC subsequently extended the deadline for the submission of candidates from Saturday, August 8, 2026, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, the APC chairman said the ability to coordinate the nomination, documentation, verification and electronic submission of thousands of candidates across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory was a significant test of the party’s organisational capacity.
“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,” Yilwatda said.
He described the early completion of the exercise as particularly significant ahead of what he called one of the most consequential electoral contests in Nigeria’s history.
The APC chairman said political parties should demonstrate more than popularity, stressing the need for internal coordination, institutional capacity and preparedness to meet statutory and administrative requirements.
He said the nationwide exercise required close coordination among the APC National Secretariat, state chapters, candidates and other party structures.
Yilwatda also urged Nigerians to assess political parties not only by their campaign promises but by their internal systems, preparedness, competence and ability to manage people and resources effectively.
“Governance is not an experiment. The management of a country as complex as Nigeria requires planning, coordination, discipline, competence and the ability to deliver within deadlines,” he said.
He argued that parties seeking Nigerians’ mandate should be able to demonstrate organisational competence within their own structures before asking citizens to entrust them with the affairs of the country.
According to him, completing the candidate-upload process ahead of schedule gives the APC additional time to focus on other aspects of its 2027 preparations, including campaign coordination, candidate engagement, voter mobilisation, grassroots organisation, policy communication and reconciliation within the party.
Yilwatda commended members of the APC National Working Committee, state party leadership, candidates, election management teams and other officials who contributed to the successful completion of the exercise.
He described the achievement as a collective victory and further evidence of the APC’s preparedness for the forthcoming elections.
“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. We must take our message of Renewed Hope to every community and demonstrate to Nigerians that the APC is not only prepared to contest elections; we are prepared to continue providing responsible leadership for Nigeria,” he said.
The APC chairman added that the party would continue to strengthen its structures and systems ahead of the 2027 elections, with a focus on competence, continuity, stability and national development.
