THE All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced that members aspiring to contest its 2027 presidential primary will pay a total of N100 million for nomination, comprising N30 million for the expression of interest form and N70 million for the nomination form.
News Point Nigeria reports that in the same structure, governorship aspirants are to pay N10 million for the expression of interest form and N40 million for the nomination form as Nigeria moves towards the 2027 general elections.
The party disclosed this in a two-page document outlining the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections, signed on Saturday by its National Organising Secretary, Sulaimon Arugungu.
According to the document, senatorial aspirants will pay N3 million for the expression of interest form and N17 million for the nomination form to appear on the primary ballot, while House of Representatives aspirants are required to pay N1 million for expression of interest and N9 million for nomination.
For the House of Assembly, aspirants are expected to pay N1 million for expression of interest and N4 million for the nomination form.
The document stated: “In accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act 2026, and the Independent National Electoral Commission’s revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections, I hereby present a proposed timetable and schedule of activities for the conduct of the 2027 general elections to the National Chairman/National Working Committee accordingly.”
Beyond the cost of forms, the APC also released a detailed schedule of activities leading to the elections.
It fixed the notice of election to state chapters for Monday, April 20, 2026, while the sale of forms is scheduled to commence at the national secretariat from Saturday, April 25 to Saturday, May 2, 2026.
Aspirants are expected to submit completed forms and accompanying documents by Monday, May 4, 2026.
The party further slated its primaries as follows: House of Assembly on Saturday, May 16; governorship on Monday, May 18; House of Representatives on Wednesday, May 20; and Senate on Friday, May 22, all in 2026.
It also fixed dates for election appeals, with Sunday, May 24, 2026, for House of Assembly petitions, and Monday, May 25, 2026, for governorship, House of Representatives, and Senate appeals.
Reacting to the development, political analyst Omenazu Jackson criticised the move, describing it as evidence of increasing monetisation of the political space in Nigeria and a barrier to ordinary citizens.
“This is the reason we should rejig our political makeup and approach in Nigeria. We should ask ourselves where the N100m is coming from,” he said.
Another political analyst, Prof. Kamilu Fage, also condemned the fees, describing them as undemocratic and favouring only the wealthy.
“This is undemocratic, in the sense that it unduly extends favour to the highest bidder. It means that people without such money cannot even contest. By implication, democracy is no longer by the people and for the people, but by the rich and for the rich,” he said.
He further urged Nigerians to become more politically conscious, obtain their voter cards, and vote based on issues rather than party affiliation.
Omenazu Jackson also reiterated his criticism, arguing that political parties should sponsor candidates instead of imposing such high financial barriers.
“Where is N100m coming from? If a party believes in democratic tenets, why would it not sponsor a candidate rather than ask for such an amount? Some of them have to borrow, and by the time they get into office, the first thing is to begin to appease those who lent them money,” he said.
He added that the development reflects a broader concern that Nigeria’s democratic process is being increasingly monetised by political parties.