Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has launched a stinging attack on opposition political parties following the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) decision to extend the deadline for the submission of candidates for the 2027 general elections, describing the development as evidence of the opposition's "chronic inherent weakness" and lack of capacity to govern. INEC had on Saturday, 11 July 2026, extended the deadline for political parties to upload the names and personal particulars of their candidates from 11 July to 14 July 2026, following an appeal by the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) on behalf of parties unable to complete the process within the scheduled timeline.
In a statement issued on Sunday, 12 July 2026, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said the ruling party successfully uploaded the names and particulars of all its presidential, vice-presidential, Senate and House of Representatives candidates before the original deadline, despite fielding a far larger number of candidates nationwide. According to the APC, 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 process compared to the APC.
The APC argued that the development raises legitimate questions about the operational capacity of opposition parties and their readiness to govern. "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," Morka stated. The party also accused the opposition of hypocrisy, recalling that the same parties had repeatedly accused the APC of controlling INEC's decisions, yet turned to the commission for respite after failing to meet 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," Morka said.
INEC had initially set the deadline for the submission of candidates for the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections for Saturday, 11 July 2026. The extension to midnight on Tuesday, 14 July 2026 was granted following an appeal by the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) on behalf of political parties that were unable to upload the names and personal particulars of their candidates within the scheduled timeline. The electoral commission said the extension underscores its commitment to ensuring inclusivity in its practices while acting within the ambit of the law. With the successful upload of all its candidates, the APC has called on its leaders, members and supporters to turn their full attention to grassroots mobilisation and preparing for a vigorous, issue-based campaign that will earn the party a renewed mandate in the 2027 general elections.
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