The delay in the release of the final lists of candidates who emerged from the various party primaries ahead of the 2027 elections has continued to unsettle aspirants awaiting confirmation of their status.

Daily Trust reports that all the major political parties are yet to publish the final lists of their candidates six days after the conclusion of the primaries.

The parties include the All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and others.

For some of the parties, apart from the presidential candidates who have received their Certificates of Return, other candidates, including sitting governors, are yet to receive theirs.

The situation has not been helped by statements from party leaders suggesting that results announced at collation centres may not necessarily be upheld, as the leadership of the parties retains the power to determine the final fate of aspirants.

The National Chairman of the APC, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, recently stated that only the parties would announce the final results, while Senate President Godswill Akpabio assured colleagues who lost in the primaries that it was not the end of the matter.

The Senate President also met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday in what observers believe is part of ongoing efforts to accommodate some of his colleagues who lost out in the primaries.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Abbas Tajudeen and other House leaders also met with the president on Thursday on the same matter, according to reliable sources.

Our correspondents observed that the situation has created anxiety among aspirants across party lines, as many are uncertain whether their names will appear on the final lists.

Political analysts say this is unusual, as parties are expected to release the names of successful candidates and submit them to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) soon after the primaries. This allows the commission to begin preparations for the general elections while enabling candidates to commence campaign planning.

According to the INEC timetable for the 2027 elections, political parties were expected to commence and conclude primaries, including the resolution of disputes arising from them, between April 23 and May 30, 2026.

As of the close of business yesterday, results from State Assembly, National Assembly, governorship and presidential primaries were still being awaited.

Why the delay

Our correspondents learnt that while the delay may be due to logistical challenges, it is largely linked to a deliberate effort by the parties to manage the fallout from controversial primaries.

There are indications that some of the challenges stemmed from the direct primary system adopted by many parties, which involved a significantly larger number of voters than the delegate-based process used in previous election cycles.

Political observers recall that during the 2023 elections, when indirect primaries were widely used, results were announced more quickly because the process involved fewer participants.

The alternative option of consensus also generated controversy, as many aspirants disagreed with the manner in which candidates emerged, arguing that the process often resembled imposition rather than genuine consensus.

Party members said many aspirants rejected consensus arrangements and opted for direct primaries, which also generated disputes.

The disagreements triggered numerous defections as parties struggled to manage the protests and dissatisfaction that followed the exercises.

Another source told our correspondent that part of the delay is deliberate and aimed at allowing parties to review and possibly adjust their final lists.

Our correspondent learnt that this concern is particularly pronounced within the ruling party, where some opposition governors were reportedly promised automatic tickets and a 60–40 sharing formula in their favour. In instances where such arrangements conflicted with the interests of existing stakeholders, the party is said to be considering adjustments.

APC blames plethora of complaints

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has attributed the delay to the large number of petitions submitted by aspirants to its appeal committees following the primaries.

A source within the party said its leadership is still working to resolve disputes arising from the exercise.

Our correspondent reports that controversies have trailed the results of several primary elections conducted across the states, with many aspirants alleging that some of the figures announced by electoral committees were fabricated.

Following the complaints, the National Chairman of the APC, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, said only the party’s national secretariat would release the final list of candidates after a thorough review process.

He assured aggrieved aspirants that their complaints would receive due attention and that justice would be done.

The source said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is already intervening to resolve some of the disputes, adding that most party members would ultimately be satisfied with the outcome.

Asked when the final results would be released, the source said: “Any moment from now, once the NWC concludes its work. We still have ample time to submit the list to INEC.”

He added that reports submitted by the various appeal committees are still being evaluated and that once the process is completed, recommendations would be forwarded to the National Working Committee (NWC) for final action.

“The NWC will meet on the matter shortly and, once a decision is taken, the list will be released,” the source said.

Our correspondent further reports that disputes have erupted in several states following the declaration of results from governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly primaries in states such as Nasarawa, Bauchi, Kwara, Oyo, Delta and Kogi.

Some aggrieved aspirants, including former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege, have dumped the party, alleging irregularities in the exercise.

A former Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, who participated in the Nasarawa governorship primary, also alleged irregularities and subsequently left the party.

To avert further crises, the party leadership has stepped in to pacify aggrieved aspirants and resolve outstanding disputes.

NDC may send results directly to INEC

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), which is also grappling with unresolved disputes, has indicated that it may submit the final results of its primaries directly to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) if disagreements over candidates persist.

Our correspondent observed that aspirants who participated in the recently concluded primaries have expressed reservations about how the party leadership is handling the release of the final results.

Daily Trust reports that although election committees declared winners at various centres during the primaries, the party’s national leadership has yet to release the final list.

The leadership insists that only the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) can formally announce the final winners.

The delay has fuelled suspicion among aspirants who had earlier been declared winners by the electoral committees.

Some of the aspirants, who spoke on condition of anonymity, warned that failure to address the situation could plunge the party into crisis ahead of the general elections.

Apparently sensing an impending crisis, the NEC met on Wednesday to address some of the contentious issues.

Daily Trust reports that one of the aggrieved aspirants, Aisha Yesufu, openly challenged the party leadership over its role in the conduct of the primaries in Abuja.

Yesufu contested for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) senatorial seat but reportedly lost. Dissatisfied with the conduct of the exercise, she confronted party leaders during the NEC meeting before discussions moved into a closed-door session.

A source familiar with the meeting told our correspondent on Thursday that the final list may be forwarded to INEC before being released publicly.

The source said: “INEC will publish the names of the candidates after submission by the party, and candidates can check the commission’s website. This is aimed at avoiding a crisis at a time when tensions remain high.”

Meanwhile, ahead of the release of the final results, the party has announced plans to launch a post-primary reconciliation programme aimed at healing internal divisions and strengthening unity ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Party leaders said the initiative is intended to address grievances arising from the primaries and prevent possible defections by aggrieved aspirants.

Addressing party members at Wednesday’s meeting, the National Leader of the NDC, Seriake Dickson, acknowledged concerns raised by some aspirants regarding the conduct and outcome of the primaries.

However, he maintained that the party has established internal mechanisms for resolving disputes.

He urged unsuccessful aspirants to remain loyal to the party and accept the outcomes of the primaries.

Dickson disclosed that a structured reconciliation programme would soon be unveiled to foster unity and strengthen cohesion ahead of the 2027 polls. He also directed state and zonal leaders to immediately begin engaging stakeholders to address grievances and rebuild trust within party structures.

Also speaking, the National Chairman of the party, Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, said the NDC had recorded significant milestones within a short period, including membership registration, congresses, conventions and primaries conducted without major disruptions.

“It is not easy for party leaderships, because some aspirants felt that they had been cheated and are relying on the party leadership to give them justice. If they do not feel that they were fairly treated, it would be a serious problem for the parties,” he said.

Efforts to get the reaction of Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, the National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress was not successful as he did not respond to calls made to his phone.

Also the spokesman of the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Ini Ememobong could not be reached but the spokesman of the Wike faction, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, said there are appeals arising from the conduct of the exercise and the party is waiting for the recommendation of the appeal panels committee on the matter.

“After which, the National Executive Committee of the party will ratify the report, before we can come out with the final list of candidates. The process will soon be completed”, he said.

Parties not violating law by withholding candidates’ names after primaries — Electoral Act

However, Daily Trust review of the Electoral Act 2026 and the timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) indicates that political parties are not under any immediate legal obligation to publish the names of their candidates following the conclusion of primaries.

Some party members and political observers had questioned why parties were yet to formally announce or publish comprehensive lists of successful candidates, despite the end of the nomination process.

But Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 provides that political parties have up to 120 days before the election to submit the names of candidates who emerged from valid primaries to INEC.

The section states: “Every political party shall, not later than 120 days before the date appointed for a general election under this Act, submit to the Commission, in the prescribed Forms, the list of the candidates the party proposes to sponsor at the elections, who shall have emerged from valid primaries conducted by the political party.”

According to INEC’s timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections, political parties are expected to submit the names and personal particulars of their candidates at different dates depending on the offices being contested.

For presidential candidates, submission of Form EC9 and other required documents will commence at 9:00 a.m. on June 27, 2026.

For National Assembly candidates, the deadline is 6:00 p.m. on July 11, 2026.

The submission period for governorship candidates opens at 9:00 a.m. on July 18, 2026, while candidates for State Houses of Assembly have until 6:00 p.m. on August 8, 2026, to be submitted by their parties.

The law further requires candidates to submit affidavits confirming that they meet the constitutional requirements for the offices they seek.

Section 29(2) provides that the information submitted by each candidate must be accompanied by an affidavit sworn before the Federal High Court, a State High Court or the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.

The responsibility for publishing candidates’ personal particulars rests with INEC after receiving the documents from political parties.

Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act states that the commission shall, within 21 days of receiving the personal particulars of candidates, publish them in the constituencies where they intend to contest.

In line with the timetable, INEC is expected to publish the personal particulars of presidential and National Assembly candidates on August 1, 2026, while those of governorship and State House of Assembly candidates will be published on August 29, 2026.

The provisions suggest that while political parties may voluntarily announce winners of their primaries, the Electoral Act does not compel them to immediately publish comprehensive lists of candidates after the primaries.

Rather, the law focuses on the submission of candidates’ names and documents to INEC within the stipulated timeframe, after which the commission is mandated to publish their particulars for public scrutiny.

‘Why parties are delaying release of their candidate’

Kabiru Sa’id Sufi of Kano State College of Arts, Science and Remedial Studies told Daily Trust that political parties across the country are delaying the publication of their candidates lists due to complications arising from the new system of direct primaries and consensus arrangements practiced this year.

According to him, this is the first time parties are grappling with direct primaries alongside the option of consensus, which has created bottlenecks in the process.

“It has never been like this. But I think there is a reason for this, because this is the first time we are having direct primaries, which is suited with an option of either conducting the direct primaries or having a consensus,” he said.

He said even the consensus option has not been fully complied with, as the law requires all contestants to sign and attest to the agreement, something that has not happened in most cases.

He explained that even where direct primaries were held, dissatisfaction among aspirants has slowed down the process.

“This cuts across all the parties. So I think the parties are trying to tidy up things with regard to either the consensus or the direct primaries,” he added.

Dr Sufi noted that parties are liaising with governors to ratify outcomes, which has further contributed to the delay.

He stressed that the novelty of the process has made it more difficult compared to the indirect primaries of the past, where results were quickly published and blame was easily shifted to delegates.

On whether the delay could affect preparations for the 2027 elections, he said it would not, provided parties act within the timeframe stipulated by the Electoral Act.

However, he warned that irregularities and dissatisfaction could trigger voter apathy.

“As long as it is within the stipulated date as prescribed in the electoral law as amended, I think it will not really affect the timing. But maybe it may raise questions about the legality of the poll process and its compliance with laid-down procedures,” he said.

He cautioned that if complaints persist, some voters may abstain from the general elections, leading to reduced participation. (Daily Trust News)

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