Has APC Changed Dates for Primary Elections? Fact Emerges as Tinubu Eyes Mega Votes in Kano, Lagos
- The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has confirmed unchanged dates for the 2027 primary elections
- Opposition leaders realigned for the 2027 general elections, seemingly complicating the challenge against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
- Reports indicate that Tinubu is focused on at least three key states to secure an electoral majority in the upcoming presidential race
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics, elections, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
FCT, Abuja - The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday night, May 13, 2026, clarified that the dates scheduled for its forthcoming primary elections for the 2027 elections remain unchanged.
Legit.ng reports that the party said the clarification became necessary following the circulation of "false and misleading reports" on social media and other communication platforms suggesting otherwise.
Source: Facebook
The APC's statement, signed by its national spokesperson, read:
As earlier announced, the Primary Elections will be held as follows:
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• House of Representatives - Friday, 15th May, 2026
• Senate - Monday, 18th May, 2026
• State House of Assembly - Wednesday, 20th May, 2026
• Governorship - Thursday, 21st May, 2026
• Presidential - Saturday, 23rd May, 2026
The APC’s tweet on its primary elections in May 2026 can be read in full below via an X post:
2027 race: Opposition camps split up
Legit.ng reports that Nigeria’s political landscape is gradually heating up ahead of the 2027 elections, with opposition leaders positioning themselves to challenge President Bola Tinubu.
Atiku Abubakar, who came second in the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), who came third, Rabiu Kwankwaso, who came fourth, and former minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, are among the prominent figures expected to play major roles ahead of 2027.
The opposition figures had initially agreed to work together under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to improve their chances against the APC and Tinubu. However, Obi and Kwankwaso later moved to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) to pursue their ambitions, citing the numerous litigations surrounding the ADC as the reason for leaving.
Atiku and Amaechi remain in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and with party primaries approaching, it remains unclear who the opposition will eventually field against President Tinubu.
Meanwhile, the APC has waived the screening requirement for President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.
APC spokesman Morka disclosed that the party’s national working committee (NWC) reached the decision during its 188th meeting held on Wednesday, May 13.
Morka stated that the NWC “deemed him as duly screened in accordance with the Constitution of the Party for the purpose of participation in the upcoming primary elections.”
Political analysts say there is a strong possibility that President Tinubu could emerge unopposed in the upcoming APC primary election.
2027 election: Tinubu targets Rivers, others
Ahead of the 2027 presidential election, President Tinubu is banking on raking in an overwhelming majority of votes from Kano, Lagos and Rivers states, as political realignments in those states indicate.
However, while the APC is looking to leverage the recent spate of defections into its ranks by governors and other elected officials, and the touted performance of President Tinubu, the opposition argues that Nigerians’ condition will decide the ruling party’s fate in those states.
Source: Facebook
But political commentators told Leadership that the APC had the structural advantage going into the election.
As key commercial nerve centres, these states have a history of large numbers of registered voters nationwide, and winning or losing one, two, or all of them could determine a presidential candidate’s victory or performance in an election.
A political analyst, Suleiman Gimba, explained the strategic importance of Kano, Lagos and Rivers in President Tinubu’s electoral calculations. Gimba described the states as “vote multipliers.”
“Kano’s population and voter turnout tradition make it capable of delivering margins two to four times that of smaller states. Lagos combines population size with high civic awareness and agenda-setting power in national politics, while Rivers historically delivers bloc votes and substantial margins when politically cohesive,” he said, adding that together, the three states can decisively shape presidential outcomes.
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2027 election: APC confident of victory
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that ahead of the 2027 election, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, the national chairman of the APC, said the party is ready for the polls.
Yilwatda stressed that no force can stop the APC from winning the presidential, governorship, and other seats in Nigeria.
The APC leader dismissed the ADC coalition's chances, describing President Tinubu's administration as superb.
Source: Legit.ng
