The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strictly adhere to its electoral timetable ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning against extending deadlines to accommodate political parties unable to meet stipulated requirements.
The party’s National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, made the position known in Abuja while receiving a pre-election fact-finding delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), led by former Sierra Leone Vice-President Victor Bockarie Foh.
Yilwatda said the credibility of the forthcoming elections would depend on INEC’s commitment to enforcing electoral guidelines consistently, stressing that no political party should receive preferential treatment.
He maintained that the rules governing candidate nominations and other electoral activities must apply equally to all contestants to ensure fairness, transparency and predictability.
According to him, the APC has completed its candidate nomination processes, submitted its candidates’ names through INEC’s portal, inaugurated its campaign council and commenced preparations for the elections.
The chairman contrasted the party’s level of preparedness with what he described as challenges facing some opposition parties in completing their nomination processes. He argued that electoral deadlines should not be altered to accommodate parties that failed to meet established requirements.
Yilwatda disclosed that more than 7,000 aspirants participated in the APC primaries for various elective positions, describing the exercise as evidence of the party’s internal competition and political strength.
He attributed the relatively low number of post-primary disputes to the party’s internal conflict-resolution mechanisms, adding that some aspirants who failed to secure APC tickets later emerged as candidates of opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress and Nigeria Democratic Congress.
The APC chairman also highlighted the party’s membership and nationwide structures, putting its registered membership at approximately 13 million, with more than 261,000 executive members across its ward, local government, state and national structures.
Despite the party’s political strength, Yilwatda assured the ECOWAS delegation that the APC would not use its position to suppress opposition parties or restrict their participation in the electoral process.
He said all political parties should have equal opportunities to organise, campaign, access the media and engage voters without intimidation.
Yilwatda cited protests against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration as evidence of what he described as the government’s tolerance of political dissent. He also noted that the APC had experienced electoral defeats in states such as Anambra and Osun while continuing to engage political stakeholders.
Earlier, Foh explained that the ECOWAS mission was assessing Nigeria’s political environment ahead of the 2027 elections, with particular attention to transparency, credibility and compliance with democratic standards.
He said the mission would base its conclusions on verified information and systematic observations rather than unsubstantiated allegations.
Foh added that the delegation’s engagement with political parties would help it better understand their organisational structures, internal electoral processes and preparations for the forthcoming polls.
The meeting formed part of the regional body’s efforts to assess the political climate ahead of Nigeria’s next general elections.
