Weeks After Primaries: Candidates On Edge As Parties Withhold Nomination Lists

ADC, NDC say names will be released soon

Aspirants in recently concluded party primaries across major political parties have expressed growing frustration as national leaderships delay the release of final candidate lists several weeks after the exercises ended.

According to the timetable of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), political parties were expected to conclude primaries and resolve disputes by 30 May 2026. However, weeks after the deadline, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) have yet to publish definitive lists of candidates for governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly elections.

While the parties have affirmed their presidential candidates, uncertainty persists at the subnational level. The APC has endorsed President Bola Tinubu, while the David Mark-led faction of the ADC is backing former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. Other ADC factions have fielded Dumebi Kachukwu and Chris Uba, while the NDC has ratified a joint presidential ticket involving Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso for the 2027 election cycle.

The delay has fuelled tension among aspirants, many of whom say they have spent heavily on mobilisation and campaign logistics without clarity on their status.

The APC has already distanced itself from a purported “concluded list of senatorial candidates” circulating online, describing it as fake. Party National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka said only the National Working Committee (NWC) has the authority to release official nomination lists after due internal processes.

The uncertainty has also reached the National Assembly, where Senate President Godswill Akpabio acknowledged rising anxiety among lawmakers affected by the primaries.

Speaking at the inauguration of the APC National Campaign Council for the Ekiti governorship election, Akpabio urged the party leadership to handle the final nomination list with sensitivity.

“The party is supreme. I’m only pleading with the party to ensure that when they bring out their final list, they carry all of us along,” he said.

He added that internal party negotiations often leave some aspirants dissatisfied.

“Some of my people have hypertension,” he said, drawing laughter from delegates, before stressing that the party must balance fairness with electoral strategy.

Akpabio, who is also co-chairman of the APC campaign structure, said political considerations must reflect merit and electoral reality.

“You have the right to choose anybody you want. But when anyone has lost an election on the ground, don’t expect me to plead for their inclusion. It simply means the person has lost,” he said.

He urged aspirants to accept the outcomes of primaries while appealing for fairness in the release of final lists.

“I want to congratulate those who won and plead with my colleagues to accept that due process must be followed. We shall endorse the final list when it is ready,” he added.

Several aspirants who spoke on condition of anonymity said the delay had created uncertainty and financial strain.

“We spent millions mobilising supporters. Now they are talking about a consensus after the primaries. That is not democracy,” one Senate aspirant said.

Another aspirant from Delta State under the NDC platform alleged attempts to overturn primary results in some constituencies.

He cited figures from his local government result sheet, claiming he secured over 4,000 votes while the closest rival scored fewer than 900.

“What they want to do is overturn clear results,” he said, sharing what he described as signed ward and local government collation sheets on party platforms.

Within the APC, party sources said the NWC is still reviewing reports from appeal committees set up to handle grievances arising from the primaries.

The sources said the final list would be transmitted to INEC once internal reconciliation is completed, in order to preserve credibility and reduce post-primary disputes.

The NDC has also confirmed that although its National Executive Committee (NEC) has ratified the outcomes of primaries, the final candidate list has not yet been released.

Speaking on Arise Television, NDC National Leader Senator Seriake Dickson said no party had officially published final winners from its primaries.

“I sympathised with aspirants over some irregularities in our primaries,” he said.

He added that political parties were struggling under tight electoral timelines and administrative pressure.

“We are just four months old and have had to conduct membership registration, congresses, primaries and appeal processes within a compressed timeframe,” Dickson said.

He blamed the challenges partly on the compulsory direct primary model under the Electoral Act, 2026.

“My view has been consistent: compulsory direct primaries create avoidable tension. Complaints about irregularities are not peculiar to the NDC; they cut across parties,” he said.

Dickson insisted that the NDC was still managing internal reconciliation.

“The next primaries will be technologically driven to avoid these issues,” he added.

He also urged members to avoid internal conflict and support the party’s candidates once the final lists are released.

“It is not a time for blame. State caucuses that midwifed the process must take responsibility for reconciliation,” he said.

For its part, the ADC said delays in publishing its final list were due to ongoing appeals processes.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Bolaji Abdullahi, said primary outcomes had already been announced at various levels but were still subject to review.

“The outcome of our primaries has been announced, but the final list will be released after appeal committees conclude their work,” he said.

He added that internal dispute-resolution mechanisms were essential to strengthen party democracy and to avoid post-nomination litigation.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is expected to open its Candidate Nomination Portal on 26 June 2026, issuing access codes to political parties to upload names and details of their candidates.

INEC has warned that the portal is fully automated and will close automatically after the deadline, urging parties to strictly adhere to the timelines.

The development has increased pressure on political parties to resolve internal disputes and finalise nomination lists before the submission window.

Political observers say the delays highlight persistent challenges in Nigeria’s internal party democracy, particularly in the management of primaries, dispute-resolution mechanisms, and the transparency of nomination processes.

Analysts also warn that prolonged uncertainty could affect campaign preparations, heighten internal party tensions and trigger pre-election litigation if not swiftly resolved.

As parties move towards final reconciliation, aspirants continue to await clarity on their political futures, with many expressing concern over what they describe as opaque processes and shifting internal alignments.

Despite the tensions, party leaders insist that all outstanding issues will be resolved before INEC’s nomination deadline, paving the way for the formal commencement of campaigns ahead of the next general election cycle.

EXPLAINER

1. Delayed Candidate Lists Weeks after the primaries ended, APC, ADC, and NDC have yet to publish final candidate lists, leaving many aspirants uncertain about their political future.

2. Aspirants Grow Anxious

Many contestants say they spent heavily on campaigns and mobilisation, but still lack clarity on whether their nominations will be upheld.

3. Appeals Hold Up Process Party leaders attribute the delay to ongoing appeals, dispute resolution, and reconciliation efforts aimed at addressing grievances from the primaries.

4. INEC Deadline Nears

Pressure is mounting as INEC prepares to open its Candidate Nomination Portal on June 26 for the submission of candidates’ details.

5. Risk Of Internal Crisis Analysts warn that prolonged uncertainty could deepen party divisions, disrupt campaigns, and trigger pre-election litigation ahead of the 2027 polls.