A surge of political activity was recorded in Abuja as aspirants under the All Progressives Congress scrambled to beat the deadline for the purchase of nomination and expression of interest forms ahead of the 2027 general elections.
At the Abuja Continental Hotel, the designated venue for the exercise, hundreds of aspirants thronged the facility in the final days, many accompanied by large crowds of supporters.
The influx created pressure on security personnel, as supporters attempted to gain access to the premises, while party loyalists and praise singers filled the halls, jostling alongside journalists seeking to interview aspirants.
The National Chairman of the party, Nentawe Yilwatda, who monitored the exercise, expressed satisfaction with the turnout, describing it as a reflection of the party’s democratic credentials.
He said, “The large number of aspirants shows that the APC remains widely accepted. The fact that members are willing to contest even against sitting office holders speaks to the level of internal democracy in the party.”
Yilwatda added that the process had been smooth, noting that payments, documentation and issuance of receipts were being handled efficiently, with no major complaints recorded.
Findings indicated that the party may be generating significant revenue from the ongoing sale of forms, with aspirants paying varying amounts depending on the offices sought.
According to party guidelines, aspirants for state Houses of Assembly are required to pay N1m for expression of interest and N5m for nomination forms, while those seeking seats in the House of Representatives are to pay N1m and N9m respectively.
Senatorial aspirants are expected to pay N3m for expression of interest and N17m for nomination forms, while governorship hopefuls are to pay N10m and N40m respectively.
For the presidential race, aspirants are required to pay N30m for expression of interest and N70m for nomination forms.
The deadline for the exercise, initially fixed for last Friday, was extended to Monday due to the International Workers' Day.
Although official figures of forms sold were yet to be released, party sources disclosed that Bola Ahmed Tinubu and businessman Stanley Osifo had obtained presidential forms, each costing N100m.
The sources further revealed that as of midweek, about 34 governorship aspirants had purchased forms, while over 200 aspirants for the National Assembly elections had also completed the process.
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