The All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced a change in the dates for its presidential and governorship primaries, as part of adjustments to its timetable for the 2027 general elections. Under the revised schedule, the presidential primary will now take place on May 23, 2026, while the governorship primaries have been rescheduled for May 21, 2026.
Announcement by Deputy National Publicity Secretary
The changes were disclosed on Thursday, April 23, in Abuja by the party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Durosinmi Meseko, following the 186th meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC). Meseko stated that the updated timetable also affects the screening of aspirants and the handling of appeals, aligning the party’s processes with national electoral guidelines.
“We now have a new revised timetable in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, the Electoral Act 2026, and the Independent National Electoral Commission revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections,” he said.
Key Dates in the Revised Timetable
According to the new schedule, the sale of nomination forms will run from April 25 to May 2, 2026, while submission of completed forms is expected to close on May 4. Screening for legislative and governorship aspirants is scheduled between May 6 and May 8, while presidential aspirants will be screened on May 9.
Primary elections for other positions will proceed as planned, beginning with the House of Representatives on May 15, followed by the Senate on May 18 and State Assembly on May 20. Governorship primaries will take place on May 21, while the presidential primary has been moved to May 23.
Appeals Process
Meseko added that appeals arising from the screening exercise will be addressed between May 12 and May 13, while post-primary appeals will run between May 18 and May 25, depending on the category.
Mode of Primaries Adopted
The party also reiterated its adoption of both direct and consensus methods for selecting candidates, in line with provisions of the Electoral Act. “In this 186th meeting of the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress, we adopted the mode of primaries as provided in the Electoral Act: direct and consensus mode, with a caveat that members are at liberty to pick,” Meseko stated.
He explained that while consensus remains an option, it must be agreed upon by all aspirants; otherwise, the process will revert to direct primaries. “Where consensus works, it stands, and where an aspirant does not agree to consensus, it automatically reverts to direct primaries,” he added.
Zamfara Congresses and Party Readiness
The NWC also approved a separate timetable for ward, local government and state congresses in Zamfara State, beginning April 28, 2026. Meseko dismissed rumours suggesting that nomination forms would be restricted to select individuals. “Nomination forms for all aspirants seeking offices under the All Progressives Congress are available for all, not exclusively reserved for any individual,” he said.
He noted that the party’s timetable is aligned with that of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which has scheduled party primaries between April 23 and May 30, 2026, ahead of the 2027 general elections. Further developments are expected as political activities intensify in the lead-up to the polls.
