APC Extends Nomination Forms Deadline to May 7, Pushes Screening to May 8-12

The All Progressives Congress has pushed back key deadlines in its 2027 election process, giving more time for prospective candidates to buy and submit nomination forms and adjusting the screening schedule that follows.

New dates

According to a press release from the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the sale of Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms will now close at midnight on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. Candidates had been expected to submit completed forms by an earlier date, but that deadline has been moved to midnight on Thursday, May 7.

The screening exercise, a mandatory step before any aspirant can be cleared to contest primaries, will now run from Friday, May 8 through Tuesday, May 12, 2026. The final list of cleared aspirants will be published on Wednesday, May 13.

Why the extension

The APC said the decision was approved by party leadership to allow more aspirants to complete the nomination process. The party added that no further extensions would be granted, urging all prospective candidates to use the new window to finalise their paperwork.

Deadline extensions are not unusual in Nigerian party politics. With hundreds of aspirants jostling across different positions — from president down to state assembly seats — managing the form sales and screening logistics is a genuinely complex exercise. The APC has faced added pressure this cycle given ongoing internal tensions around its primaries format, with some states still contesting whether their delegates will be allowed to participate.

Where things stand

The party held its 8th National Convention in Abuja in late March, where Chairman Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda and the full National Working Committee were returned by consensus. Since then, the focus has shifted entirely to the 2027 primaries — the APC’s most complex electoral exercise since 2023, and one that will determine whether Tinubu’s second-term bid faces any serious internal resistance.

Sources: Politico Nigeria, Telegraph Nigeria, Vanguard, The Sun Nigeria, Legit.ng