The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strictly adhere to its published timetable for the 2027 general elections. APC national chairman, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, made the demand while receiving a pre-election fact-finding mission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja. Yilwatda emphasized that the rules must apply equally to every political party.
Yilwatda stated that the APC had already taken several steps in preparation for the elections, including releasing its campaign council list, inaugurating the council, commencing campaign activities, and uploading its candidates to the INEC portal. According to him, the party has presented candidates for all the elective positions it is contesting, unlike some opposition parties that reportedly encountered difficulties in fielding candidates and completing their submission processes.
The APC national chairman highlighted the party's organisational strength, noting that it is the largest political party in Nigeria with approximately 13 million registered members in all local government areas. He also disclosed that the party has more than 261,000 executive members across its structures from the ward to the national level. Additionally, Yilwatda mentioned that the APC has 31 governors out of 36, 88 senators out of 109, and 208 members of the House of Representatives out of 360 seats.
Yilwatda observed that over 7,000 aspirants contested for various positions in the party’s primaries, yet it recorded relatively few post-primary court cases compared to the scale of the contests. He also noted that several politicians who failed to secure APC tickets later obtained tickets from opposition parties. Yilwatda stressed that the party’s preparation was based on its organisational capacity, candidate readiness, and nationwide structures, not on an assumption that victory was automatic.
The APC national chairman assured the ECOWAS mission that the party would not use its position to suppress opposition parties. He emphasized that all parties should enjoy equal access to the media, campaign venues, and other legitimate opportunities to present their programmes to the electorate. Yilwatda cited public protests against the administration of President Bola Tinubu as evidence that citizens and opposition groups could express their views without fear of intimidation.
Earlier, the leader of the ECOWAS mission, former Vice-President of Sierra Leone Victor Bockarie Foh, explained that the mission was undertaking a political assessment aimed at contributing to free, fair, and transparent elections in Nigeria. Foh commended Yilwatda for his detailed presentation, saying it gave the mission valuable insight into the APC’s structure, membership, internal processes, and preparations for the elections.
Foh stated that the mission's monitoring is scientific, and its decisions are based on verified information. He added that the mission's reports are not arbitrary, but rather based on a robust application system to collect data. The ECOWAS mission is expected to continue its assessment of the political environment in Nigeria to ensure a peaceful and democratic electoral process.
Key points
- The APC has urged INEC to stick to its published timetable for the 2027 general elections.
- The party has presented candidates for all elective positions it is contesting.
- The APC has approximately 13 million registered members and a significant presence in state Houses of Assembly.
