Checks conducted on Sunday at the party’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) department at the Muhammadu Buhari House headquarters in Abuja revealed that the technical team had maintained uninterrupted access to the INEC portal, Nation reported.

Sources within the department disclosed that records for most principal officers of the 10th National Assembly and several incumbent lawmakers were already in the system. Additionally, the profiles of four sitting governors, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara state, Mai Mala Buni of Yobe state, Hope Uzodimma of Imo state and Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state, had been successfully uploaded, Vanguard reported.

Revised candidate list following 700 petitions The submission process follows a review of the party’s primary elections. The NWC removed six senatorial and 19 House of Representatives candidates who had emerged from the May primaries, acting on recommendations from the party’s Primary Election Appeal Committee. The affected constituencies span Abia, Kogi, Taraba, Benue, Ebonyi, Ondo, Kaduna, Niger and Kwara states. A revised list was subsequently forwarded to INEC in a letter jointly signed by APC National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda and National Secretary Ajibola Basiru.

APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka confirmed the scale of internal grievances following the primaries. “The party received over 700 petitions from aggrieved members following the conclusion of our shadow elections,” Morka said. Morka declined to give a timeline for the public release of the final candidates’ list, stressing that the party’s immediate attention was firmly on regulatory compliance.

“Our absolute immediate priority right now is ensuring that our designated candidates properly complete and return their Form EC9 nomination documents for upload ahead of the strict INEC deadline, rather than focusing on the public release of the list,” he said.

Despite the adjustments made by the appeal committee, several of the party’s prominent figures retained their tickets, including the four governors already cleared for Senate seats in the 2027 general elections.

Gov Fintiri backs Tinubu

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Governor Ahmadu Fintiri threw his weight behind President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 presidential bid, describing him as the candidate best positioned to guarantee Nigeria’s stability and see through the country’s ongoing economic reforms. Fintiri made the remarks during a grassroots engagement with All Progressives Congress (APC) executives and stakeholders in Madagali and Michika local government areas of Adamawa state, where he addressed party faithful alongside key party figures.

The former Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism alleged that despite Governor Bago’s public engagement with Christian groups, the pattern of appointments and candidate selection tells a different story.

“It’s not about attending church programmes, singing choruses or making donations. What matters is fairness and inclusion in appointments and elective positions,” he said.

Vatsa argued that choosing a Christian deputy governorship candidate in 2027 would help address the perceived imbalance and strengthen the APC’s chances at the polls.

That is the only way people like us can confidently approach the Christian community to campaign for the party. If an opposition party picks a Christian deputy governor, it could attract sympathy votes,” he said.

Vatsa also maintained that the 2027 elections would be driven more by the credibility of candidates than party platforms.

“I have checked it inside my room, I have checked it inside my sitting room, I’ve checked it inside the library. I’ve not seen any challenge,” he said. He added that only a candidate with nationwide appeal could mount a serious presidential challenge. “Maybe if Oji Joseph Kalu was running in ADC, I could have been a challenge to President Tinubu, but today there is no challenge.”

The senator urged APC members to avoid internal divisions ahead of the next general election, warning that factional disputes could weaken the party.

“If we are not managed well, that does not mean we cannot speak out. If we create a faction, it will be more costly to manage. So, you better be one party,” he said.

Kalu also appealed to party leaders at all levels to strengthen internal cohesion, stressing that effective management of the APC would be key to maintaining its electoral dominance in 2027