APC fixes ₦100m for Presidential form, releases dates for Primaries

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has set a steep ₦100 million price tag for its presidential nomination form ahead of the 2027 general elections, placing it as the highest among all positions outlined in the party’s newly released timetable.

The fee structure, contained in the schedule of activities signed by National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Muhammad Argungu, shows that aspirants for the presidency will pay ₦30 million for the expression of interest form and ₦70 million for the nomination form, bringing the total to ₦100 million.

Other elective positions also attract significant costs, though far below the presidential figure. Governorship aspirants are to pay ₦50 million in total, made up of ₦10 million for expression of interest and ₦40 million for nomination forms.

For National Assembly positions, the Senate form is pegged at ₦20 million, while aspirants for the House of Representatives will pay ₦10 million. State House of Assembly hopefuls are to pay ₦6 million.

The high cost of forms has again brought to the fore concerns over the rising financial barrier to political participation in Nigeria, particularly for young aspirants and those without deep financial backing.

While the APC noted that female aspirants, youths and persons living with disabilities will only pay for the expression of interest form and receive a 50 per cent discount on nomination fees, the overall cost still raises questions about accessibility.

The timetable released by the party shows that the sale of forms will run from April 25 to May 2, 2026, with primaries scheduled to begin in mid-May.

Presidential primaries are billed for May 15 and 16, while governorship primaries will hold on May 23. Elections for other positions will take place in between these dates.

The party, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said the schedule reflects its commitment to a transparent and credible primary process.

In recent election cycles, the rising cost of nomination forms by major political parties has sparked debates about the monetisation of politics and its impact on internal democracy.