The All Progressives Congress (APC) has finalized its candidate roster for the 2027 general elections, firmly ruling out any alterations to the outcomes of its recent primary elections. Despite widespread protests and numerous petitions from disgruntled aspirants nationwide, the ruling party has concluded its internal data verification and is preparing to transmit the final names to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal.

This decision effectively ends any prospects of fresh appeals or rescheduled primaries for members who alleged widespread manipulation and imposition during the shadow elections. According to senior party officials within the National Working Committee (NWC), the timeline for internal disputes and reviews has officially elapsed, and the party is currently awaiting the necessary access codes from INEC to upload the successful candidates.

Overwhelming Majority of Petitions Dismissed as Frivolous

The internal fallout from the primaries, held between May 16 and 18, has been substantial. No fewer than 54 sitting federal lawmakers including several high-ranking senators and members of the House of Representatives failed to secure return tickets. This triggered an influx of petitions and legal threats, particularly from battleground states such as Lagos, Delta, Zamfara, Kogi, Rivers, Plateau, and Osun.

However, top party sources indicate that less than two percent of the appeals submitted to the party's review panels were successful. Leadership dismissed most of the grievances as legally weak or irrelevant to the primary outcomes. Many complaints centered on pre-primary issues, such as zoning agreements or the timing of an aspirant's resignation from opposition parties, which leadership deemed internal matters outside the scope of the primary appeals process.

Notable high-profile disputes, including Senator Ned Nwoko’s challenge against former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, and the friction surrounding Kingsley Chinda’s gubernatorial candidacy in Rivers State, were ultimately set aside. Party officials maintained that internal party registers remain the final authority on membership validity.

Presidency Disengaged from Primary Outcomes

Despite speculation regarding potential executive intervention, NWC sources confirmed that President Bola Tinubu has not stepped into the post-primary disputes. Officials clarified that the presidency had given no directives to alter or review the results, noting that any strategic intervention from the executive would typically occur prior to the voting process rather than after its conclusion.

In Lagos State, where local factions expressed deep dissatisfaction with the conduct of the polls, the party confirmed that all declared winners have been verified and their status remains unchanged.

Internal Warnings Over Potential Electoral Backlash

While national party leaders, including National Secretary Ajibola Basiru and National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka, either declined to comment or remained unresponsive, some aggrieved aspirants continue to hold out hope for a presidential intervention before the mid-summer deadlines.

Some local contenders argued that influential party figures are intentionally keeping the presidency misinformed about the level of dissatisfaction on the ground. Critics within the party warned that dismissing these internal grievances could severely jeopardize the APC's prospects in the 2027 general elections. They cautioned that while some members might formally defect, a more significant threat lies in internal sabotage, where dissatisfied members remain within the party but actively work against its success or refuse to mobilize voters on election day.

INEC is scheduled to release the access codes for its nomination portal on June 26, with July 11 set as the final deadline for political parties to submit all candidate credentials.