The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has said its decision not to field a presidential candidate for the 2027 general election was based on its endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for a second term.
The party explained that it deliberately chose not to upload the name of a presidential candidate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nomination portal, stressing that the decision was not due to any administrative error or failure to meet the commission’s requirements.
APGA National Publicity Secretary, Mazi Ejimofor Opara, made this known while speaking with Vanguard amid questions over the party’s absence from the presidential race.
According to Opara, the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) reached the decision after extensive consultations and agreed to support Tinubu’s re-election bid.
He said, “We have not uploaded a presidential candidate because the National Executive Committee of the party has already taken a decision to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.”
Opara, however, clarified that APGA remains fully involved in the 2027 elections, adding that it has successfully submitted the names of all its candidates for the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly elections.
He said, “However, I can confirm that APGA has successfully uploaded all its candidates for the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly elections to the INEC portal.”
According to him, the party submitted all the required documents for its candidates contesting Senate, House of Representatives and state assembly seats within the deadline set by INEC.
Opara stressed that APGA’s decision to support the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the presidential level should not be seen as a withdrawal from the 2027 general election.
He explained that the party remains committed to contesting legislative elections across the country and expanding its presence in both the National Assembly and state legislatures.
The APGA spokesman said the absence of a presidential candidate on the INEC portal reflects the party’s political strategy and should not be interpreted as a failure to meet electoral requirements.
He added that APGA believes backing Tinubu’s second-term bid will not affect the party’s identity or its determination to strengthen its representation in the Senate, House of Representatives and state assemblies.
Opara said the party remains committed to promoting democracy by presenting qualified candidates for legislative positions and providing effective representation for Nigerians.
He urged APGA members and supporters to remain united, mobilise support for the party’s legislative candidates and also back President Tinubu’s re-election in line with the decision of the party’s National Executive Committee.
The clarification follows public questions over why APGA did not submit a presidential candidate to the INEC nomination portal despite presenting candidates for other elective offices.
