Morganable politics/Elections
The submission comes as political parties raced against the electoral commission’s July 11, 2026 deadline for uploading the names of presidential and National Assembly candidates through its online nomination portal, in line with provisions of the Electoral Act.
kaNo —
President Bola Tinubu has formally retained Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election, ending months of speculation over a possible change in the ruling party’s ticket.
The decision was confirmed on Friday in Abuja when the governing All Progressives Congress presented the nomination forms of Tinubu and Shettima to its National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, for onward transmission to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The move effectively puts to rest widespread reports that the President might replace his deputy with a northern Christian in a bid to broaden the party’s electoral appeal.
The submission comes as political parties raced against the electoral commission’s July 11, 2026 deadline for uploading the names of presidential and National Assembly candidates through its online nomination portal, in line with provisions of the Electoral Act.
INEC had fixed the deadline as one of the most critical milestones in the countdown to the 2027 general elections, warning that only candidates validly nominated through primaries monitored by the commission would be accepted.
The process, which began on June 27, involves the submission of Forms EC9 and EC9A to EC9E for presidential, vice-presidential, Senate and House of Representatives candidates.
Political discussions around the composition of the APC ticket had intensified in recent months following Tinubu’s emergence as the party’s presidential candidate.
Analysts and stakeholders had speculated that the President might opt for a different running mate, particularly a northern Christian, to address criticisms that trailed the party’s same-faith ticket in the last election.
However, Friday’s development appears to reaffirm the party’s confidence in its existing leadership structure and electoral strategy.
The nomination documents were presented on behalf of the President by his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Ibrahim Masari, during a ceremony attended by key party stakeholders.
Among those present were members of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, the National Assembly, the Federal Executive Council, the APC National Working Committee, state chairmen of the party and its governorship candidates.
Earlier, the APC National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Argungu, described the event as the formal presentation of the duly completed nomination forms of the party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
Argungu said Tinubu had secured the party’s presidential ticket through what he described as a transparent primary election, urging members to remain united ahead of the polls.
He also commended the administration’s performance, noting that the party remained confident in its chances in the 2027 election.
APC Governors Reaffirm Support For Tinubu
Speaking on behalf of APC governors, Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, reaffirmed the governors’ support for Tinubu and the party leadership, describing the nomination process as credible and well-organised.
“We are delighted that this event is coming after a well-organised and thoroughly supervised primary process. We reiterate our commitment to continue supporting President Tinubu and the party,” he said.
“We will continue to support him in the larger interest of Nigerians and to take the country to greater heights. Together, we are going to deliver victory for President Tinubu and ensure the party wins all elective positions, including the National and State Assemblies,” he stated.
Receiving the nomination forms, Yilwatda described the event as a reflection of the confidence reposed in the President by millions of party members nationwide.
According to him, Tinubu’s endorsement demonstrated widespread grassroots support for his administration and policies.
“Today is a reflection of the wishes of over 12 million members of the APC who overwhelmingly voted for Mr. President as the party’s candidate for the 2027 presidential election,” he said, adding that the party remained united and focused on victory.
INEC Confirms Parties Submission Of Nomination Forms
Meanwhile, INEC confirmed that several political parties had submitted their presidential and vice-presidential nominations, while others were still completing the process ahead of the deadline.
The commission’s National Commissioner, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, disclosed that although many parties had uploaded their candidates’ details, only a few had fully completed submissions for both presidential and running mate positions.
“Various parties have uploaded nominees. The deadline is still tomorrow; they have until 12 midnight tomorrow to upload,” Haruna said.
According to INEC, parties that had made varying levels of submissions include the Action Alliance, African Action Congress, African Democratic Congress, All Progressives Grand Alliance, Allied Peoples Movement, Labour Party, Nigeria Democratic Congress, National Rescue Movement, Peoples Democratic Party, Peoples Redemption Party, Social Democratic Party, Young Progressives Party and Zenith Labour Party.
Haruna further revealed that only a handful of parties including AA, AAC, ADC, NDC, PRP, SDP and YPP had successfully submitted both presidential and vice-presidential candidates as of Friday.
INEC Warns Against Submission Of Candidates’ Names Who Did Not Participate In Primaries
The commission reiterated its warning against the submission of names of candidates who did not emerge from duly monitored primaries, emphasising that any violations of the Electoral Act or its regulations would result in outright rejection.
The commission is expected to publish the personal particulars of presidential and National Assembly candidates on August 1, while those of governorship and state assembly candidates will be displayed on August 29.
This, it said, would allow members of the public to scrutinise the candidates and raise objections where necessary.
In addition, August 22 has been fixed as the deadline for the withdrawal and substitution of presidential and National Assembly candidates, while governorship and state assembly candidates have until September 19 to effect changes.
As the deadline for submissions closes, political activities are expected to intensify across party lines, with alliances, campaign strategies and voter mobilisation efforts likely to take centre stage in the coming months.
