•As internal discord trails APC’s State Assembly nomination process

By Omeiza Ajayi

ABUJA—Despite repeated claims by some leading political parties in the country that they beat the July 11 deadline for uploading their National Assembly candidates into a dedicated portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, Vanguard checks have revealed the contrary.

Multiple sources at INEC have disclosed that no political party, including the All Progressives Congress, APC, met the commission’s original July 11 deadline for the submission of candidates’ names for the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections, contradicting the ruling party’s claim that it had successfully complied.

“As of July 11 deadline, before the extension to July 14, over 70 per cent of candidates in the APC had not been uploaded by the party. No party met that deadline. 

‘’The commission had to bend backwards to accommodate them. In fact, the commission opened its back-end to be able to do that,” the source said.

The disclosure came despite a statement issued on July 12 by APC which said it successfully met INEC’s deadline for the submission of names of its candidates for the 2027 elections, describing this as an achievement made possible despite the large number of party candidates contesting on its platform for various elective offices.

The party had noted that at the request of opposition political parties that had failed to meet the July 11 deadline, INEC granted an extension to July 14, 2026.

In a statement issued by INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, yesterday, the commission said the deadline in the revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general election had been extended, following an appeal by the Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC.

The appeal came on behalf of political parties unable to upload the names and personal particulars of their candidates within the scheduled timeline.

While acknowledging that INEC acted within its statutory powers and administrative discretion in extending the deadline, APC spokesman, Felix Morka, had argued that the extension was necessitated by the failure of opposition parties to manage their internal processes to comply with the 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,” Morka had said.

The APC had also described as ironical the fact that the same opposition parties had repeatedly peddled what it described as false, malicious and unfounded tales that the APC controlled and dictated INEC’s decisions, yet turned to the same INEC for respite when they failed to meet the submission deadline.

“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,” the party had said.

But 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 not by opposition parties alone, but by a shortfall affecting all registered parties, including the APC itself.

Internal discord

The disclosure by the INEC insider comes even as the ruling party grapples with internal wrangling over its candidate nomination process in some of its strongholds.

Aggrieved party stakeholders and aspirants from Apa state constituency of Benue State yesterday staged a protest at the national secretariat of the party, rejecting what they described as alleged imposition of a candidate ahead of the party’s primary election.

The protesters, who chanted solidarity songs and waved party symbols, insisted that the people should be allowed to freely choose their candidate through a transparent and credible primary process.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, one of the party members who simply identified himself as Godwin O, alleged that attempts were being made to deny genuine aspirants a level playing field by issuing a “same-day ticket” to a preferred candidate instead of conducting a proper primary.

According to him, the development threatens the unity of the party and can undermine its electoral fortunes if not urgently addressed.

He called on the APC national chairman and the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, to intervene, describing the national leadership as law-abiding and capable of restoring confidence in the process.

He urged the party leadership to “rescue” the APC structure in the local government, and insisted that the alleged imposition of a candidate would alienate grassroots members and weaken the party ahead of future elections.

The protesters also accused one of the party leaders, Sonny Echono, of having little or no involvement in party activities at the grassroots level, arguing that candidates should emerge based on loyalty, service and acceptance among party members, rather than through imposition. 

They maintained that only a free, fair and transparent primary election would guarantee justice for all aspirants and preserve the unity of the APC in the area.

At press time yesterday, the party leadership had yet to officially respond to the allegations raised by the protesters, and the claims could not be independently verified.

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has said no one will be able to rig or steal the August 15 governorship election in the state.

Speaking at a campaign rally in Oke-Ila, Ifedayo Local Government Area, Adeleke told supporters that every vote would count and urged residents to protect their ballots.

According to a statement by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the governor said the people were ready to defend their votes.

“I heard some politicians vowing to steal the votes. Where and how? Osun votes are untouchable. This is Osun State, the heart of Yoruba nation. Nobody can rig us out here,” Adeleke said.

He added, “The people’s votes will be defended. Their will on August 15 will become a reality.”

The governor also said, “Osun people are not scared. Osun people are not cowards. They will vote and defend their votes.”

Adeleke said his administration’s achievements would help secure victory, adding, “Our records speak for us.”

Confrontation among the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta Central ended abruptly on Saturday at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, Delta State.

According to eyewitness accounts, the meeting descended into chaos as some attendees allegedly engaged in physical altercations, with chairs and other objects reportedly thrown during the incident.

Several people, especially party members, were said to have sustained injuries.

Among those reportedly affected was one of the Delta State Government’s Senior Special Assistants, who appeared in widely shared videos leaving the venue during the disturbance.

Sources familiar with the meeting claimed the confrontation may have been linked to disagreements among factions within the party.

Some accounts alleged that supporters associated with one of the Delta State commissioners, a founding member, and individuals linked to the governor’s Senior Special Assistant, who joined the party last year, were involved.

The founding members were said to have been schemed out of party benefits by the new members, leading to disagreements.

The leaders were said to have hurriedly abandoned the meeting with their security aides for safety, while goods were reportedly vandalised by those who started the disagreement.

The incident has generated public discussion about internal party cohesion and the conduct of political gatherings in the state.

Observers say peaceful dialogue and adherence to democratic principles are essential for maintaining public confidence in political institutions.

As of the time of filing this report, neither the Delta State Government, the state chapter of the APC, nor the Nigeria Police Force had issued a detailed official account of the incident.

Stakeholders have called for a thorough investigation to establish the facts surrounding the disruption and ensure that anyone found responsible for any unlawful conduct is held accountable in accordance with the law.