Key Takeaways
- No political party met the original July 11 deadline for submitting candidates' names for the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections.
- INEC extended the deadline to July 14 after an appeal by the Inter-Party Advisory Council.
- APC faces internal wrangling over its candidate nomination process in some strongholds.
Despite claims by leading political parties that they met the July 11 deadline for uploading their National Assembly candidates into INEC's dedicated portal, sources have revealed that no party, including the APC, met the original deadline.
According to INEC insiders, over 70% of APC candidates had not been uploaded by the party as of the July 11 deadline, prompting the commission to extend the deadline to July 14.
Extension of Deadline
The extension was granted after an appeal by the Inter-Party Advisory Council on behalf of opposition parties that failed to meet the deadline.
APC spokesman, Felix Morka, argued that the extension was necessitated by the failure of opposition parties to manage their internal processes, despite having fewer candidates to manage.
However, the fresh account from the INEC insider now places that claim in question, with the source insisting that the commission's decision to extend the deadline was necessitated by a shortfall affecting all registered parties, including the APC itself.
Internal Discord
The APC is grappling with internal wrangling over its candidate nomination process in some of its strongholds, with aggrieved party stakeholders and aspirants staging protests against alleged imposition of candidates.
The protesters called on the APC national chairman and the party's National Working Committee to intervene, describing the national leadership as law-abiding and capable of restoring confidence in the process.
Why This Matters
The controversy surrounding the election deadline and the internal discord within the APC may have significant implications for the party's electoral fortunes and the overall outcome of the 2027 general election.
The ability of the APC to resolve its internal issues and present a united front will be crucial in determining its success in the upcoming elections, and the party's leadership must take immediate action to address the concerns of its members and restore confidence in the nomination process.