The All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced May 15 and 16, 2026, as the dates for its presidential primary election, setting the stage for early preparations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The decision was contained in a detailed timetable released via the party’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle.
The schedule was also outlined in a formal statement signed by the National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Argungu, highlighting key activities leading up to the primaries.
According to the timetable, the process will cover the sale of forms, screening of aspirants, appeals, and the conduct of primaries for all elective positions.
The party disclosed that the sale of expression of interest and nomination forms will commence on April 25 and end on May 2. Aspirants are expected to submit completed forms by May 4.
Screening exercises are scheduled to take place between May 6 and May 8, while the results of the screening will be published on May 11. Appeals arising from the process will be handled between May 12 and May 13.
Beyond the presidential contest, the APC also fixed dates for other primaries: the House of Representatives primaries would hold on May 18, the Senate on May 20, State Houses of Assembly on May 21, and governorship primaries on May 23.
The party pegged the cost of presidential nomination at N100 million, broken down into N30 million for the expression of interest form and N70 million for the nomination form.
Governorship aspirants are required to pay N50 million, while fees for other positions including Senate, House of Representatives, and State Assembly—vary depending on the office.
The APC added that certain categories of aspirants would receive concessions.
“Female aspirants, youth and physically challenged aspirants are to pay for the expression of interest and 50 per cent of the prescribed nomination fees for each position,” the statement said.
The party explained that the timetable aligns with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act 2026, and guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
It further reaffirmed its commitment to conducting “credible and transparent primary elections” as part of efforts to strengthen internal democracy within the party.
As of the time of filing this report, no APC member has formally declared an intention to contest the presidency.
However, some party leaders and affiliated groups have publicly endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term.
Although Tinubu has yet to officially declare his candidacy, he recently dismissed suggestions that he is intimidated by opposition forces ahead of the 2027 elections, insisting he remains focused on addressing Nigeria’s challenges.
