Anxiety As APC, PDP, ADC, NDC, And LP Are Yet To Release Their Final Candidate Lists

Major political parties across the country have yet to release their final lists of candidates for the 2027 general elections, weeks after concluding their primaries, a development that has heightened anxiety among aspirants and raised fresh questions about transparency in the nomination process.

According to Ireporter Online, the affected parties include the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and the Labour Party (LP).

The delay comes despite the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirming that it will issue access codes to political parties for its Candidate Nomination Portal on June 26, 2026. Many aspirants vying for governorship, National Assembly, and State Assembly seats remain uncertain about their political fate as parties continue to withhold definitive nomination lists.

The situation has triggered speculation of internal party disputes, with allegations that some political platforms are deliberately delaying publication to reduce the chances of aggrieved aspirants challenging primary outcomes in court.

Within the APC, concerns over the delay have been acknowledged by senior figures. Senate President Godswill Akpabio appealed to the party leadership to handle the release of the final list with care, warning of rising tension among members. “The party is supreme. I’m only pleading with the party to ensure that when they release their final list, they include all of us. Some of my people have hypertension,” he said.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said the list would be released “soon,” while insiders revealed that appeal committees were still reviewing complaints arising from the primaries. One senior official noted that ongoing reviews could affect the publication of any final list, citing fears of internal backlash.

In contrast, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) defended its position, stating that it is not legally required to publicly release its candidate list. Its National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, said all aspirants had been informed of the outcomes of the primaries and that INEC already had the official records. He further explained that the June 26 deadline was meant for authentication and uploading of candidates to the electoral body’s portal.

A faction of the PDP aligned with Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike said it was awaiting ratification by the party’s National Executive Committee before making its list public. National Publicity Secretary Haruna Jungudo confirmed that all primaries and appeal processes had been concluded under INEC supervision, adding that formal publication would follow NEC approval.

The ADC also confirmed completion of its primaries but maintained that it was working within INEC’s timetable. Its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the party was “merely biding its time” as required processes were still ongoing.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party announced that it had ratified 1,211 candidates for various elective positions and would begin uploading their names to INEC’s portal on June 28. Party spokesperson Ken Asogwa said the National Executive Committee had already approved the nominations.

The continued delay by major political parties has intensified political uncertainty nationwide, with many observers warning that prolonged withholding of candidate lists could further heighten intra-party tensions ahead of the 2027 elections.