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APC sets primary election dates and fees for 2027 general elections
via Punch Nigeria6 min read
The All Progressives Congress has announced its timetable for the 2027 general elections, scheduling presidential primary elections for May 16, 2026, and governorship primaries for May 23, 2026. According to Felix Morka, APC National Publicity Secretary, presidential aspirants will pay N100 million for expression of interest and nomination forms, while governorship aspirants will pay N50 million. Senate aspirants will pay N20 million, and House of Representatives aspirants N10 million. State House of Assembly aspirants will pay N6 million. Female aspirants, youths, and persons with disabilities are required to pay only for the expression of interest form and 50 percent of the nomination fees. The sale of forms will occur from April 25 to May 2, with a submission deadline of May 4. Screening for presidential aspirants is set for May 9, and other aspirants will be screened between May 6 and May 8. Primary elections for the House of Representatives are on May 18, the Senate on May 20, and State House of Assembly on May 21. Morka affirmed the party's commitment to credible and transparent primary elections. Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party's National Executive Committee, backed by Nyesom Wike, also adopted a timetable for its 2027 activities, despite ongoing internal factional disputes. The PDP declared an end to its internal crisis and expressed confidence in the new National Working Committee led by Abdulrahman Mohammed. The African Democratic Congress is considering a c
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
The West African Senior School Certificate Examination WASSCE has experienced significant disruptions in several Nigerian states, including Oyo, Lagos, and Osun, due to the late arrival of examination materials. This has compelled thousands of candidates to take their papers late into the evening, sometimes under poor lighting conditions, using torchlights, mobile phone flashlights, or solar-powered lamps. On Wednesday and Thursday, candidates for Agriculture Science Practical and General Mathematics Objective exams waited for hours, with some starting as late as 8:30 pm and finishing after 10 pm. Parents expressed concern, with one reporting their child was still waiting for exams to begin at 9 pm. The West African Examinations Council WAEC attributed the delays to efforts to curb examination malpractice, prevent question paper leakage, and logistical challenges, security concerns, and sociocultural factors. Some centers also reported shortages of question papers. Social media users have criticized WAEC, highlighting safety concerns given the late hours and insecurity in Nigeria. These delays echo a similar scenario during the 2025 WASSCE. The Head of the Nigeria National Office of WAEC, Dr. Amos Dangut, had previously assured that such issues would not recur, stating that systems had been strengthened. Efforts to reach Moyosola Adesina, Head of Public Affairs of WAEC Nigeria, for comment were unsuccessful. Some observers have linked the disruptions to the recent death of th
A heated dispute erupted in the Nigerian House of Representatives regarding the leadership of the opposition caucus, with lawmakers exchanging accusations of forgery, blackmail, and political manipulation. The conflict began when Philip Agbese accused fellow lawmaker Ikenga Ugochinyere of forging his signature on a nomination document for the Minority Leader position. Ugochinyere denied the allegation, asserting the endorsement process was legitimate and signed by supporting lawmakers. The confrontation escalated into a shouting match between rival factions. A video later released by the G-60 caucus reportedly showed Agbese signing the nomination document, contradicting his claim. Agbese maintained he never signed any document endorsing Ugochinyere and called for an investigation into what he described as an attempt to damage his reputation. Speaker Tajudeen Abbas acknowledged the complaint and assured an investigation, while also calling for a closed-door meeting of minority lawmakers to address the crisis. Ugochinyere insisted his bid had overwhelming support from 61 out of 81 opposition members and vowed to produce witnesses to the signing. The G-60 minority caucus dismissed Agbese's allegations as false and misleading, releasing video evidence to support their claim that he voluntarily signed the document. They stated that 61 of the 81 minority caucus members willingly endorsed Ugochinyere's nomination to fill the vacancy left by Kingsley Chinda's defection to the All Pro
Economists have raised concerns regarding the Oyo State House of Assembly's approval of a proposed N200bn infrastructure bond, citing issues of timing, accountability, and the state's ability to successfully raise the funds from the capital market. The bond aims to refinance short-term loans used for infrastructure projects, with Governor Seyi Makinde stating it would restructure the state's debt, lower servicing costs, and create fiscal space for development. While existing loans carry interest rates of 22-26%, the bond is projected at 17-19%. However, experts like Dr. Ayo Teriba, CEO of Economic Associates, question the timing, given the administration has less than a year left in office and upcoming elections. Teriba suggests that investors might be reluctant to back a bond for an outgoing government and recommends that any refinancing be handled by the incoming administration. Professor Akpan Ekpo of the University of Uyo described the refinancing as illogical, proposing renegotiation with creditors instead of incurring new debt, and expressed worry about increased public spending near elections. Professor Franklin Ngwu of Lagos Business School acknowledged that refinancing could reduce interest costs but highlighted concerns about transparency and accountability, questioning if the funds would be used solely to offset loans or be diverted.
The Nigerian equities market experienced its fourth consecutive day of losses, with the overall market capitalisation decreasing by N581bn, or 0.37 percent, to N155.359tn. The All-Share Index also fell by 905.30 points, a 0.37 percent decline, closing at 242,227.31 points. This downturn was primarily due to profit-taking in large and medium-capitalised stocks such as Aradel Holdings, UACN, Stanbic IBTC Holdings, Eterna, and Transnational Corporation. Market breadth was negative, with 30 declining stocks outnumbering 24 advancing ones. McNichols led the decliners with a 10 percent drop, followed by Associated Bus Company and Eterna. Conversely, International Energy Insurance saw the highest gain, rising 10 percent, with Omatek Ventures, Ellah Lakes, Abbey Mortgage Bank, and Cutix also recording significant increases. Activity metrics weakened, as total volume traded decreased by 43.4 percent to 522.28 million units, valued at N24.11bn. Access Holdings led in trading volume, followed by FCMB Group, Nigerian Exchange Group, Zenith Bank, and Sterling Financial Holdings Company.