APC, ADC Begin Post-Primary Reconciliation as INEC Opens Candidate Submission Window

Major political parties have kicked off post-primary reconciliation efforts as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed that parties will begin accessing codes for the submission of candidates’ names from 9am on June 27.

The electoral body said the process will close at 6pm on July 11, giving parties a window to select running-mates and substitute flag-bearers before the deadline.

The move comes as most parties are still grappling with internal disputes following the conclusion of their primaries at the weekend. In the ADC, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and former banker Mohammed Hayatu-Deen rejected the outcome of the presidential primary that produced Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the party’s candidate. Both aspirants refused to participate in the collation of results.

A day after the primary, Atiku accompanied other party leaders to visit Amaechi at his Abuja residence. Yesterday, he travelled to Lagos to meet Hayatu-Deen in a separate reconciliation move.

In the APC, grievances from governorship and Assembly primaries in Delta, Bauchi, Gombe, Ekiti, and Lagos states are being addressed through internal dispute-resolution mechanisms, party officials said.

Meanwhile, at least four women will appear on the presidential ballot for the January 16, 2027 election, including Dr. Nkem Okereke of the National Rescue Movement, Anita Zugwai-Chukwu of the Young Progressives Party, Ada Fredrick Okwori of the National Democratic Party, and Onuoha Juliet of the Youth Party.

Source: The Nation