2027: APC Postpones Presidential, Governorship Primaries
By Ekanem ASUQUO
The All Progressives Congress has adjusted its timetable for the 2027 general elections, shifting the dates of its presidential and governorship primaries.
Under the revised schedule, the presidential primary will now hold on May 23, 2026, while the governorship primary has been moved to May 21, 2026.
The changes were announced in Abuja by the party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Duro Meseko, following the 186th meeting of the National Working Committee.
Meseko explained that the adjustments were made in line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act 2026, and the timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
He said the sale of nomination forms will run from April 25 to May 2, 2026, while submission of completed forms will close on May 4, 2026.
According to him, screening of aspirants will take place between May 6 and May 9, with presidential aspirants scheduled for May 9. The results will be published on May 11, while appeals will be heard between May 12 and May 13.
The APC also fixed its primary elections as follows: House of Representatives on May 15, Senate on May 18, State House of Assembly on May 20, governorship on May 21, and presidential on May 23.
Post primary appeals will run from May 18 to May 25 across different categories.
Meseko further disclosed that the party has adopted both direct and consensus modes of primary elections, allowing aspirants to choose their preferred option, with direct primaries serving as fallback where consensus fails.
He also dismissed claims of restricted access to nomination forms, insisting they remain open to all qualified aspirants.
Meanwhile, INEC has scheduled the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State Assembly elections will hold on February 6, 2027.
The electoral body also fixed the period for party primaries and dispute resolution between April 23 and May 30, 2026, with campaigns set to begin in August and September 2026 respectively.
