The All Progressives Congress (APC) has intensified preparations for the 2027 general elections with the submission of nomination details for 13 governorship candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The party is working to beat the August 8 deadline set by the electoral body for the submission of governorship and State House of Assembly candidates across the country.

A senior APC official disclosed that the nomination details of the candidates had already been processed and uploaded through INEC’s nomination portal, while documentation for additional candidates was being finalised.

According to the official, the party remains confident that all 28 governorship candidates and their running mates will be successfully submitted before the deadline expires.

Among the APC candidates whose details have reportedly been processed are Obafemi Hamzat of Lagos State, Solomon Adeola of Ogun State, Umar Bago of Niger State, Ahmed Wadada of Nasarawa State and Yakubu Danladi of Kwara State.

Others include Hyacinth Alia of Benue State, Ahmed Galadima of Adamawa State and Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State.

Party sources said the APC’s Information and Communication Technology team has been handling the uploading process while ensuring that all required documents meet INEC’s specifications.

However, the party is facing challenges with the submission of candidates for State Houses of Assembly.

The source revealed that technical issues affecting the INEC nomination portal have slowed down the process for the assembly candidates.

Despite the setback, the APC expressed optimism that the problem would be resolved quickly.

“Our ICT team has already scanned and prepared the documents for immediate upload once the issues are resolved,” the official said.

The party maintained that preparations were progressing smoothly in most states despite concerns raised by some aspirants and stakeholders following the outcome of various primaries.

Reacting to reports of dissatisfaction among some party members, APC Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, said efforts were ongoing to reconcile aggrieved stakeholders and strengthen unity within the party.

According to him, the APC reconciliation committee has already commenced engagement with affected members.

“As for the disaffection that the emergence of some of these candidates may have caused, the reconciliation committee is working,” Ibrahim said.

“We are hoping that, at the end of the day, all grievances will be resolved. All the aggrieved parties will come together and forge ahead.”

He stressed that the party remained focused on building a united front ahead of the elections.

Ibrahim also urged candidates to remain committed to the APC’s policies and programmes while taking the message of President Bola Tinubu Renewed Hope agenda to voters across the country.

He said party members must work collectively to strengthen the APC’s chances at the polls.

INEC had opened its portal for governorship and State House of Assembly nominations on July 18.

The commission fixed August 8 as the deadline for the submission of candidates’ particulars.

Under the timetable released by the electoral body, personal details of candidates will be published on August 29 to enable public scrutiny.

The deadline for withdrawal and substitution of candidates has been fixed for September 19.

In a related development, the APC recently announced the successful completion of the upload of all its presidential and National Assembly candidates to the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal.

The party described it as a major milestone in its preparations for the 2027 general elections.

The exercise saw the submission of 471 candidates, including the presidential ticket, Senate candidates and House of Representatives aspirants.

APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, hailed the development and commended party officials involved in the process.

“I congratulate our candidates, leaders, and members of APC on the successful 100% upload of our Presidential, Vice Presidential, Senate, and House of Representatives candidates on the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal (ICNP),” he said.

“With this milestone achieved, our focus now shifts to mobilisation and preparations for a successful campaign and decisive victory at the polls.”

The successful upload also confirmed President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima as the APC presidential ticket for the 2027 election.

The development came shortly after INEC extended the deadline for the submission of presidential and National Assembly candidates following appeals from some political parties that were unable to meet the initial deadline.

The APC had criticised opposition parties over the extension, insisting that it had completed its submissions before the original closing date.

Recall that INEC later announced an extension of the deadline after receiving requests from political parties through the Inter-Party Advisory Council.

The electoral commission said the decision was taken to allow parties complete their uploads while ensuring broad participation in the electoral process.

Senator Rufai Sani Hanga, a former political ally of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and the Kwankwasiyya movement, has attacked Kwankwaso, expressing dismay over what he described as flimsy reasons for denying him the opportunity to contest for any political office.

Hanga, who spoke during a radio programme in Kano, said, “How can Kwankwaso cite my age and health condition to deny me the chance to contest for the position of deputy governor or my Senate seat?”

He boasted that, “As of today, I’m healthier than Kwankwaso. His frequent references to my leg condition are nothing but a sham that cannot stand. Let me tell you, on age, he is two years older than I am.”

Senator Hanga explained that his leg problem does not, in any way, affect his legislative duties, adding, “If he is talking about my age, how old was he when he became governor, and how old is he now as a vice-presidential candidate?”