By Jude Opara
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticised opposition political parties for failing to meet the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) original deadline for the submission of candidates for the 2027 presidential and parliamentary elections.
In a statement issued in Abuja, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said the APC completed its submissions within the initial deadline despite fielding a larger number of candidates across the country.
According to Morka, INEC extended the July 11 deadline to July 14 following requests from opposition parties seeking more time to complete their nomination processes.
He said the extension reflected what he described as the opposition’s inability to efficiently manage its internal nomination procedures, despite presenting fewer candidates than the ruling party.
Morka argued that political parties that struggle to conclude their internal processes on time would face greater challenges in governing the country if elected.
He also described as ironic the opposition’s decision to seek an extension from INEC after previously accusing the electoral commission of favouring the APC.
According to him, the APC did not oppose or attempt to influence INEC’s decision to grant the extension after completing its own submissions.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has not publicly responded to the APC’s remarks, while opposition parties were yet to react as of the time of filing this report.
