By Suleiman Aremu | Solaremnews
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has completed the upload of its candidates for all available elective positions in the 2027 General Elections onto the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), ahead of the original deadline set by the electoral body.
National Chairman of the APC, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda Goshwe, disclosed this at the weekend after the party successfully concluded the exercise, describing it as evidence of the ruling party’s organisational strength, institutional discipline and preparedness for the forthcoming elections.
Yilwatda, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, said the APC had completed the electronic submission of its candidates across the country, from the State Houses of Assembly to the presidential level, within the initial timeframe provided by INEC.
He said the achievement was particularly significant as several other political parties were still working to meet the deadline and had subsequently appealed to INEC for additional time to complete their submissions.
Following the appeals, INEC extended the deadline for the submission of candidates from Saturday, August 8, 2026, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026, giving political parties an additional three days to complete the process through the Commission’s online portal.
According to the APC chairman, the ruling party’s ability to complete the exercise before the original deadline demonstrated that it had moved beyond what he described as the “politics of slogans” to politics based on structure, planning, systems and execution.
Yilwatda said the nomination, documentation, verification and electronic submission of thousands of candidates across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory constituted a major test of a political 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,” he said.
The National Chairman said the successful completion of the process was important given the significance of the 2027 elections, which he described as one of the most consequential electoral contests in Nigeria’s history.
He maintained that political parties would need to demonstrate more than popularity to succeed in the elections, stressing the importance of internal coordination, organisational capacity and preparedness.
Yilwatda also highlighted the complexity involved in coordinating a nationwide political organisation with structures spread across the states, senatorial districts, federal constituencies and local government areas.
He explained that the exercise required close coordination between the APC National Secretariat, state chapters, candidates and other relevant party structures.
According to him, completing the process ahead of schedule reflected the efficiency of the systems being developed under the current leadership of the party.
The APC chairman further urged Nigerians to consider organisational capacity when assessing political parties seeking their votes in 2027.
“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 political parties should be assessed not only on the basis of campaign promises and rhetoric but also on their ability to manage their internal affairs, coordinate their structures, comply with electoral regulations and deliver on administrative responsibilities.
Yilwatda cautioned Nigerians against political parties that make ambitious promises about governing the country but are unable to demonstrate basic organisational competence within their own structures.
He said the APC’s early completion of the candidate-upload process should therefore not be viewed merely as an administrative achievement, but as an indication of the party’s preparedness for the 2027 electoral contest.
The National Chairman noted that completing the exercise ahead of the original deadline would allow the party to focus on other aspects of its electoral preparations, including campaign coordination, engagement with candidates, voter mobilisation, grassroots organisation, policy communication and reconciliation across its structures.
He commended members of the APC National Working Committee, state party leadership, candidates, election management teams and other party officials who contributed to the successful completion of the exercise.
Yilwatda described the achievement as a collective victory for the party and another demonstration of what he called the APC’s organisational and institutional preparedness.
“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.
He added that the APC would continue to strengthen its structures and systems ahead of the 2027 elections to enable Nigerians to make what he described as an informed choice based on competence, continuity, stability and national development.
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