The All Progressives Congress (APC) has begun uploading the names of its governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Candidate Nomination Portal (ICNP) ahead of the 2027 general elections, as the party moves to beat the August 8 submission deadline.

Findings at the APC National Headquarters in Abuja showed that the party’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) department started processing the nomination documents on Saturday.

The exercise covers 28 governorship candidates and 993 State Houses of Assembly candidates across the country.

The party is expected to give priority to 16 serving governors seeking second-term re-election. They include Governors Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, Hyacinth Alia of Benue, Uba Sani of Kaduna, Abba Yusuf of Kano, Dikko Radda of Katsina, Nasir Idris of Kebbi, Umaru Bago of Niger, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau, Ahmad Aliyu of Sokoto, Agbu Kefas of Taraba and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara, among others.

APC is also expected to upload the names of 12 first-time governorship candidates, including Obafemi Hamzat in Lagos, Solomon Adeola in Ogun, Ogundu Kingsley Chinda in Rivers, Eric Opah in Abia, Mohammed Abubakar in Bauchi, Mustapha Gubio in Borno, Jamilu Gwamna in Gombe, Ahmed Aliyu Wadada in Nasarawa and Baba Malam Wali in Yobe.

Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara is the only APC governor who will not be seeking a return ticket after withdrawing from the governorship race in May. Announcing his decision at the time, Fubara said he stepped aside in the interest of the state.

He said, “Rivers State is bigger than any individual, and at this critical moment, the peace, stability, and unity of our dear state must take precedence over every personal interest.”

He also appealed to his supporters to remain calm. He said, “To my supporters who stood firmly with me throughout this journey, who gave their time, resources, prayers, and unwavering hope, I offer my deepest gratitude. I understand the disappointment, the anger, and the pain many of you may feel.”

Governorship elections will not be conducted in Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Ondo and Osun because of their off-cycle election calendar. The APC had earlier uploaded the names of its presidential and 469 National Assembly candidates.

A source within the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) said a special committee was established to ensure that only properly verified nominations are uploaded to the INEC portal.

According to the source, “The party has set up a special committee headed by Hon. Jibrin Bancir, the Principal Private Secretary to the APC National Chairman.”

The source added, “The committee is saddled with the responsibility of collecting and verifying all nomination forms from State Chairmen before handing them over to the ICT unit. We are leaving nothing to chance ahead of the August 8 deadline for the closure of the INEC portal.”

Under Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, political parties are required to submit the names of candidates they intend to sponsor, together with the required affidavits and statutory declaration forms, within the timeline fixed by INEC.

Unlike previous elections where political parties could make last-minute changes through physical submissions, the new law imposes strict penalties for late submissions or changes after the portal closes. INEC opened the ICNP portal on July 18 and it is scheduled to shut automatically at 6:00 p.m. on August 8.

Despite the ongoing upload, the final list of State Houses of Assembly candidates is still being reviewed, with some names expected to be replaced following recommendations by the party’s Primary Elections Appeal Committee.

APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka had earlier disclosed that the party received hundreds of petitions after its primary elections, making further reviews necessary.

According to Morka, “The party received over 700 petitions following the shadow elections held in May. The outcome of the primary appeal committee reports is being closely studied, and its implementation may necessitate the dropping and replacement of some names to ensure justice and party cohesion before the INEC deadline.”