Breaking: Six Parties Lock In Presidential Flagbearers Ahead Of INEC Deadline For 2027 Elections

With just two days remaining before the deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the completion of all party primaries, at least six political parties participating in the 2027 presidential election have officially confirmed their candidates.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The parties that have concluded their primaries and unveiled their presidential flagbearers include the All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), African Action Congress (AAC), and a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

President Bola Tinubu emerged as the APC presidential candidate, while former Vice President Atiku Abubakar clinched the ADC ticket after defeating former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as well as banker Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.

In the PRP, former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke secured the party’s presidential nomination, while the SDP chose Prince Adewole Adebayo as its flagbearer.

Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore emerged as the AAC presidential candidate, while Sandy Onor was selected as the candidate of the Wike-backed PDP faction.

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) is also expected to ratify former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi as its flagbearer, as he reportedly remains the sole aspirant for the ticket.

Meanwhile, other political parties such as the Accord Party and the Allied Peoples Movement are expected to conclude their primaries before the Saturday deadline.

INEC had fixed May 30, 2026, as the final date for all political parties to complete their primary elections ahead of the 2027 general elections. The primaries cover positions in the State Houses of Assembly, National Assembly, governorships, and the presidency.

The exercise, which began on April 23, 2026, is scheduled to run until May 30, 2026, with parties adopting different methods such as direct primaries, delegate systems, consensus arrangements, and affirmations.

However, the process has been marked by controversy, with several aspirants across parties alleging vote manipulation, exclusion, imposition, and violations of the Electoral Act. Some disgruntled aspirants have reportedly left their parties in protest.

Within the ADC, one of the most closely watched primaries saw Atiku Abubakar emerge victorious. The party reported that out of 3,113,599 registered members, 2,527,977 participated in the exercise.

Official results showed Atiku polling 1,846,370 votes, defeating Amaechi, who scored 504,117 votes, while Hayatu-Deen came third with 177,120 votes.

The ADC primary attracted significant national attention due to the prominence of the contenders and ongoing political realignments within the opposition ahead of the 2027 elections.

Atiku, who previously served as the PDP presidential candidate in 2019 and 2023, entered the ADC contest as one of the leading opposition figures. Amaechi, former Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and ex-Minister of Transportation, campaigned on institutional reform and internal party democracy, while Hayatu-Deen focused on economic restructuring and job creation.

Despite the outcome, the ADC primary was not without dispute, as some aspirants raised concerns about alleged irregularities. In response, party chieftain Kola Ologbondiyan stated that aggrieved members could seek redress through the party’s appeal committee, which is tasked with resolving internal disputes.

He added that the ADC has established mechanisms to address grievances and maintain party unity.

Efforts to reach the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, for comments were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.

In the APC, President Bola Tinubu secured the party’s ticket with 10.9 million votes, defeating his sole challenger, Stanley Osifo, who polled 16,504 votes in the nationwide primary conducted across 8,809 wards. Tinubu’s candidacy was widely anticipated given the strong backing of party leadership.

In the PRP, Donald Duke emerged winner with 6,499 votes, ahead of Kingsley Yakubu, who scored 2,699 votes, and Dr Nnaoke Ufere, who placed third with 784 votes. Party leadership described the exercise as free, fair, and transparent, while urging dissatisfied aspirants to follow internal appeal procedures.