2027: APC Begins Upload of Governorship, State Assembly Candidates to INEC Portal
Abuja – The All Progressives Congress (APC) has commenced the upload of its governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Candidate Nomination Portal (ICNP), as the ruling party intensifies preparations for the 2027 general elections and moves to beat the electoral commission’s submission deadline.
Party sources disclosed that the upload exercise is being carried out in phases, with priority given to 16 incumbent governors seeking re-election for a second and final term under the APC platform. The move is intended to ensure that the nominations of serving governors are completed early while other successful candidates from the party’s primaries are subsequently uploaded to the portal.
Among the governors expected to be uploaded first are Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Hyacinth Alia (Benue), Uba Sani (Kaduna), Abba Yusuf (Kano), Dikko Radda (Katsina), Nasir Idris (Kebbi), Umaru Bago (Niger), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Ahmad Aliyu (Sokoto), Agbu Kefas (Taraba), and Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), alongside other APC governors seeking fresh mandates in their respective states.
The party is also expected to upload the names of first-time governorship flag bearers who emerged from its primaries. They include Obafemi Hamzat (Lagos), Solomon Adeola (Ogun), Ogundu Kingsley Chinda (Rivers), Eric Opah (Abia), Mohammed Abubakar (Bauchi), Mustapha Gubio (Borno), Jamilu Gwamna (Gombe), Ahmed Aliyu Wadada (Nasarawa), and Baba Malam Wali (Yobe), among others.
Apart from governorship candidates, the APC is simultaneously uploading the names and credentials of its candidates for the various State Houses of Assembly across the federation. The exercise is regarded as a critical legal requirement under Nigeria’s Electoral Act, as only candidates whose particulars are successfully submitted through the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal will be eligible to participate in the elections.
The development comes barely a week after the APC announced the successful upload of 471 candidates for the presidential and National Assembly elections, including the ticket of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima for the 2027 presidential election. Party officials described the exercise as evidence of the APC’s determination to comply fully with INEC’s electoral timetable.
Political observers say the commencement of the governorship and State Assembly upload marks another significant stage in Nigeria’s electoral calendar, as political parties race to conclude their nomination processes before the statutory deadline. Any omission or failure to upload a candidate’s details within the stipulated period could expose parties to legal disputes or disqualification, making accuracy and timeliness essential.
With the nomination process entering its final phase, attention is expected to shift to the publication of the final list of candidates by INEC, after which political parties will begin full-scale campaigns ahead of the 2027 governorship and State Assembly elections. Analysts believe the APC’s early compliance strategy is aimed at avoiding last-minute technical challenges and strengthening its readiness for what is expected to be a fiercely contested electoral cycle.