“No party met July 11 deadline—INEC had to bend backwards to accommodate them”
Despite bold claims by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other political parties that they beat the July 11 deadline for uploading National Assembly candidates into the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal, multiple insider sources have now revealed a different story.
According to INEC insiders who spoke to Vanguard, no political party — including the ruling APC — met the commission’s original deadline for the submission of candidates’ names for the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections.
“As of July 11 deadline, before the extension to July 14, over 70 per cent of candidates in the APC had not been uploaded by the party. No party met that deadline. The commission had to bend backwards to accommodate them. In fact, the commission opened its back-end to be able to do that,” a source disclosed.
APC’s Claim Contradicted
The revelation comes despite a July 12 statement by the APC claiming it had successfully complied with INEC’s deadline, describing the feat as an achievement despite the large number of candidates contesting on its platform.
The party had noted that the extension to July 14 was granted only after opposition parties appealed for more time.
INEC Extends Deadline Following IPAC Appeal
In a statement issued yesterday, INEC National Commissioner Mohammed Kudu Haruna confirmed that the deadline in the revised timetable for the 2027 general election had been extended following an appeal by the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) on behalf of political parties unable to upload their candidates’ details within the scheduled timeline.
Opposition Parties Fire Back
While acknowledging that INEC acted within its statutory powers, APC spokesman Felix Morka had argued that the extension was necessitated by the “failure of opposition parties to manage their internal processes” despite having fewer candidates to manage.
Morka further stated:
“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.”
The APC also described as “ironical” that opposition parties who had previously accused the APC of controlling INEC had now turned to the same commission for respite.
Fresh Account Contradicts APC Narrative
However, the INEC insider’s account now places the APC’s claims in serious question, with the source insisting that the extension was necessitated by a shortfall affecting all registered parties, including the APC itself.
Internal Crisis Rocks APC in Benue
Meanwhile, the ruling party is grappling with internal discord over its candidate nomination process in some strongholds.
Aggrieved party stakeholders and aspirants from Apa state constituency of Benue State staged a protest yesterday at the APC national secretariat, rejecting what they described as the “imposition” of a candidate ahead of the party’s primary election.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Godwin O alleged that attempts were being made to deny genuine aspirants a level playing field by issuing a “same-day ticket” to a preferred candidate instead of conducting a proper primary.
The protesters urged the APC national chairman and National Working Committee (NWC) to intervene, warning that the alleged imposition would alienate grassroots members and weaken the party ahead of future elections.
They also accused party leader Sonny Echono of having little involvement in grassroots party activities.
“Only a free, fair and transparent primary election would guarantee justice for all aspirants and preserve the unity of the APC,” they maintained.
At press time, the party leadership had yet to officially respond to the allegations.
