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By Lizzy Chirkpi
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has revised its timetable for the 2027 general elections, shifting its presidential primary election to May 23, 2026, while fixing its governorship primaries for May 21, 2026.
The party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Duro Meseko, announced the changes on Thursday following the 186th meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) held in Abuja.
Meseko explained that the adjustment was part of efforts to align the party’s internal processes with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, the newly enacted Electoral Act 2026, and the timetable issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2027 polls.
According to him, the revised schedule also affects key pre-primary activities, including the sale of nomination forms, screening of aspirants, and the handling of appeals.
“The National Working Committee, after a comprehensive review of our earlier timetable, approved slight adjustments to ensure full compliance with extant laws and INEC guidelines,” Meseko said in a statement issued after the meeting.
Under the updated timetable, the sale of nomination and expression of interest forms will commence on April 25 and end on May 2, 2026. Aspirants are expected to submit their completed forms on or before May 4, 2026.
Screening of aspirants for all elective positions including presidential, governorship, National Assembly, and state assembly tickets is scheduled to take place between May 6 and May 9. The party will publish the results of the screening exercise on May 11, 2026.
Meseko further disclosed that appeals arising from the screening process will be heard between May 12 and May 13, providing a narrow window for aggrieved aspirants to seek redress before the commencement of primaries.
He noted that the slight shift in dates for the presidential primary from the earlier May 15–16 window to May 23 was designed to give the party adequate time to conclude all preliminary processes and resolve disputes.
INEC had earlier urged political parties to strictly adhere to its timetable and comply with legal requirements to avoid the disqualification of candidates a development that has influenced parties, including the APC, to fine-tune their schedules.
With the revised timetable now in place, attention is expected to shift to the race for the party’s presidential ticket, as well as governorship contests in states where incumbents will be completing their constitutional two-term limits.