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By Lawrence Agbo
The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Felix Morka, has criticised political parties that sought an extension of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) deadline for submitting candidates for the 2027 general election, saying they are not prepared for politics.
Morka made the remarks while reacting to INEC’s decision to extend the deadline for the submission of the names and personal particulars of presidential and National Assembly candidates following appeals from some political parties.
According to him, political parties that could not meet the commission’s original deadline despite having fewer candidates to manage have demonstrated a lack of organisational readiness.
“Some of the parties we are talking about still do not have candidates for all the offices up for election in 2027. That means they had fewer candidates to manage, yet they still failed to meet INEC’s requirements. In contrast, despite handling far more candidates and greater pressure, the APC met the deadline,” Morka said.
He argued that the APC’s ability to complete the submission process within the stipulated timeframe reflected the party’s preparedness and internal capacity.
Morka maintained that political parties seeking to govern the country should possess the organisational competence to comply with electoral timelines without relying on deadline extensions.
INEC had earlier announced a three-day extension of the nomination deadline, moving it from July 11 to midnight on July 14, 2026, after the Inter-Party Advisory Council appealed on behalf of parties that were unable to complete the online submission process.
