The All Progressives Congress, APC, has criticized the failure of opposition political parties to meet the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, deadline for the submission of candidates for the 2027 general elections, saying it exposes their lack of preparedness to govern.

The party made the assertion in a statement issued on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, after confirming that the APC successfully met INEC’s deadline for the submission of its presidential and National Assembly candidates.

According to the APC, although INEC later extended the deadline from July 11 to July 14, 2026, at the request of opposition parties, the development highlighted what it described as the opposition’s inability to effectively manage its internal affairs.

The statement reads: “Our great party satisfied this requirement despite the large number of party candidates contesting on the party’s platform for the various elective offices.

“At the request of opposition political parties that had failed to meet the July 11 deadline, @inecnigeria granted an extension of the deadline to July 14, 2026.

“While INEC acted within its statutory powers and administrative discretion in extending the deadline for opposition parties to upload the names of their candidates, it is noteworthy that the extension was necessitated by the stark failure of opposition parties to manage their internal processes to comply with INEC’s submission deadline, despite having fewer candidates to manage compared to the APC.

“This development provides yet another clear indication of the opposition’s chronic inherent weakness and raises legitimate questions about their operational capacity. Political parties that cannot efficiently conclude their own internal nomination processes cannot possibly be trusted by Nigerians to possess the competence, discipline, or readiness to govern our great nation or its subnational governments.”

The party also accused opposition parties of hypocrisy, recalling their previous allegations that the ruling party influenced INEC’s decisions.

“It is starkly ironical that the same opposition parties have repeatedly peddled false, malicious, and unfounded tales that the APC controls and dictates INEC’s decisions. Yet, as they failed to meet the submission deadline, they shamelessly turned to the same INEC for respite and were granted an extension.

“And the same APC, which would have been the obvious beneficiary if INEC had stood firm on its original deadline, kept its distance, having met the deadline and completed its submission. Again, this underscores the opposition’s hypocrisy and true character as peddlers of fake news and merchants of blackmail.

“With the successful upload of the particulars of all its presidential, vice-presidential, Senate, and House of Representatives candidates on the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal, the APC has, again, demonstrated its leadership, superior organisational capacity, discipline, and solid commitment to due process.

“As we conclude this important phase of the electoral process, we call on all party leaders, stakeholders, members, and supporters to turn their full attention to the task ahead.

“We must remain focused and continue to strengthen our structures at all levels, increase awareness of the massive achievements under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, deepen grassroots mobilisation, and prepare for a vigorous, issue-based campaign that will earn our great party a renewed mandate in the 2027 general elections,” it added.

Another exciting Nigerian football talent has taken a major step towards the professional game after Shedrack Chiwunba Eboh departed Lagos for Sweden to begin his development with AIK Fotboll, one of the country’s most successful clubs.

The highly-rated left-footed attacker, who developed at Inspire FA in Lagos State, has safely arrived in Sweden, where he will begin training with the Allsvenskan giants as he looks to earn his first professional contract.

The move was facilitated by SGM Sports Management, led by its Chief Executive Officer Gideon Godwin, who accompanied the youngster to the airport before his departure.

Godwin has earned a growing reputation for creating pathways for talented Nigerian footballers to Europe, working closely with partner clubs and scouts across the continent to provide opportunities for promising young players.

«Shedrack now joins AIK Fotboll with the opportunity to continue his football education in one of Scandinavia’s most respected youth development environments.»

AIK, popularly known as “Gnaget,” are one of Sweden’s most decorated football clubs, having won multiple Allsvenskan titles and consistently producing players who have gone on to enjoy successful careers across Europe’s top leagues.

Shedrack follows in the footsteps of fellow Nigerian youngster Zadok Yohanna, who also secured an opportunity to continue his football development in Sweden through similar pathways.

The move represents another positive milestone for grassroots football in Nigeria, highlighting the increasing global recognition of the country’s young talents and the growing role of private football academies and player development agencies in connecting them with clubs abroad.

Shedrack is expected to begin training with AIK’s development setup immediately as he looks to impress the club’s technical staff and earn a professional contract in Swedish football.