Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The All Progressives Congress has officially released its timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections, setting May 15 and 16, 2026 as the dates for the conduct of its presidential primary and fixing the total cost of its presidential nomination form at N100 million.
The ruling party disclosed the development in a statement issued on Monday night, April 20, 2026, signed by its National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Muhammad Argungu, and announced by National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka. The release of the timetable formally kicks off internal party processes ahead of the 2027 elections, which are expected to be highly competitive as political realignments continue across the country.
The detailed schedule outlines a tightly packed sequence of activities spanning just over two weeks. According to the document, the sale of nomination and expression of interest forms will commence on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja and will run until Saturday, May 2, 2026.
The last day for the submission of completed forms and accompanying documents is Monday, May 4, 2026. Screening of aspirants will follow in phases, with aspirants for State House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, and governorship positions scheduled for screening between Wednesday, May 6, and Friday, May 8, 2026. Presidential aspirants will be screened on Saturday, May 9, 2026. The party stated that screening results for all categories will be published on Monday, May 11, 2026, after which aggrieved aspirants may file appeals from Tuesday, May 12, to Wednesday, May 13, 2026.
Primary elections are scheduled to commence immediately after the appeals process, beginning with the presidential primary on Friday, May 15, and Saturday, May 16, 2026. The House of Representatives primary will follow on Monday, May 18, 2026, while the Senate primary is scheduled for Wednesday, May 20, 2026. State House of Assembly primaries will be held on Thursday, May 21, 2026, and the governorship primary is slated for Saturday, May 23, 2026.
The party also set dates for election-related appeals, with the governorship appeal scheduled for Monday, May 25, 2026. The timetable indicates that all primary elections will be conducted within eight days, reflecting what party officials described as a streamlined and efficient internal process.
In terms of costs, the party pegged the presidential nomination form at a combined N100 million, comprising N30 million for the expression of interest form and N70 million for the nomination form. Governorship aspirants are to pay a total of N50 million, made up of N10 million for expression of interest and N40 million for nomination. Senate hopefuls will pay a total of N20 million, with N3 million for expression of interest and N17 million for nomination. House of Representatives aspirants will spend a total of N10 million, comprising N1 million for expression of interest and N9 million for nomination. State House of Assembly aspirants are to pay a total of N6 million, made up of N1 million for expression of interest and N5 million for nomination. In a concession to promote inclusivity, the party announced that female aspirants, youths, and persons living with disabilities are required to purchase only the expression of interest form and will receive a 50 percent discount on the prescribed nomination fees for each position.
The party stressed that the timetable was issued in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, the Electoral Act 2026, and the Independent National Electoral Commission’s revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections. In the statement, the APC reassured members, stakeholders, and Nigerians of its commitment to conducting a credible and transparent primary election process. “The APC reassures members, stakeholders, and Nigerians of its commitment to conducting a credible and transparent primary election that will further strengthen the party’s internal democracy and consolidate its progressive ideals,” the statement read.
However, the announcement has drawn sharp criticism from civil society groups over the high cost of nomination forms. The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre and Transparency International Nigeria expressed serious concern over what they described as the monetisation of democracy. The Executive Director of CISLAC and Head of Transparency International Nigeria, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said the fees, running into hundreds of millions of naira, further entrench the commercialisation of Nigeria’s electoral process. He argued that such prohibitive costs risk turning political participation into a privilege reserved for people with illicit wealth rather than a right open to all qualified citizens. “We are concerned that this will surely exclude youth, women, and reform-minded Nigerians,” Rafsanjani warned.
Political analysts note that the early release of the timetable suggests the APC is moving quickly to consolidate its internal processes and reduce pre-primary tensions ahead of what is expected to be a highly competitive election cycle.
The party’s National Working Committee had previously endorsed President Bola Tinubu as its sole candidate for the 2027 presidential election, a position reiterated by APC National Organising Secretary Suleiman Argungu in August 2025. However, party officials have also stated that the presidential ticket remains open, with the door not completely closed to other aspirants despite the endorsement. As the sale of forms begins on April 25, attention will now turn to which aspirants step forward to purchase the N100 million presidential form, and whether any heavyweight challengers will emerge to contest the ticket.
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