The All Progressives Congress (APC) has postponed its presidential and governorship primaries, shifting key dates in its preparations for the 2027 general elections.
The adjustment was announced by the APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Duro Meseko, after the party’s 186th National Working Committee meeting held in Abuja on Thursday.
The party announced that the presidential primary, earlier scheduled for May 15 and 16, will now hold on May 23, 2026.
The governorship primaries have also been moved and will now take place on May 21, 2026. The decision follows a review of the party’s election timetable.
Meseko said the changes were made to align with existing laws and the revised election timetable released by the electoral body.
He stated that the new timetable reflects compliance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026, and the schedule released for the 2027 elections. He added that party members and state chapters had already been notified of the development earlier in the week.
He explained that the sale of nomination forms will now begin on April 25 and end on May 2, 2026. Submission of completed forms is expected to close on May 4.
Meseko also announced the adjustment in the screening process.
Screening for aspirants across different positions, including governorship and legislative seats, will hold between May 6 and May 8.
Presidential aspirants will be screened on May 9.
According to him, results of the screening will be published on May 11.
Appeals arising from the screening exercise will be handled between May 12 and May 13.
He further outlined the updated sequence of primaries.
House of Representatives primaries will hold on May 15, followed by Senate primaries on May 18.
State House of Assembly primaries are scheduled for May 20, while governorship primaries will take place on May 21.
The presidential primary will conclude the process on May 23.
Meseko also said post-primary appeals will follow immediately after each exercise, ending with the presidential appeal process on May 25.
The APC spokesman noted that the party has adopted both direct and consensus options for selecting candidates, in line with the Electoral Act.
He explained that aspirants are free to choose their preferred method. Where consensus fails, the process will automatically shift to direct primaries.
He dismissed claims that nomination forms would be restricted to certain individuals, insisting that all interested aspirants have equal access.
