The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has explained that its decision not to upload the name of a presidential candidate to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) nomination portal for the 2027 general election followed its endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for a second term.
The party said the absence of a presidential candidate on the portal was not the result of an administrative failure or inability to meet INEC’s requirements, but a deliberate political decision taken by its National Executive Committee.
APGA’s National Publicity Secretary, Mazi Ejimofor Opara, disclosed this while speaking with Vanguard amid growing public interest over the party’s position ahead of the 2027 election.
According to him, the party’s NEC reached the decision after extensive consultations and resolved to support Tinubu’s re-election bid, which it described as being in the national interest.
“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 said.
The publicity secretary, however, clarified that APGA remained fully involved in the electoral process and had successfully submitted the names of all its candidates for the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly elections.
“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,” he added.
Opara said all the required documentation for APGA candidates seeking seats in the Senate, House of Representatives and state legislatures had been submitted within the period stipulated by the electoral commission.
He stressed that the party’s alliance with the ruling All Progressives Congress at the presidential level should not be interpreted as a withdrawal from the 2027 general election.
According to him, APGA intends to contest legislative elections across the country and strengthen its representation at both the federal and state levels.
Opara maintained that the absence of an APGA presidential candidate from INEC’s nomination portal should not be misconstrued as a failure by the party to fulfil electoral obligations.
He explained that it was a calculated political decision arising from the party’s earlier endorsement of the President.
The spokesman said APGA believed that supporting Tinubu’s second-term ambition at the presidential level would not affect its identity or its determination to expand its influence in the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly.
He added that the party remained committed to deepening Nigeria’s democracy by presenting candidates capable of providing quality representation.
Opara said APGA’s immediate political focus was to win more legislative seats and build a stronger presence in the Senate, House of Representatives and state assemblies.
He noted that legislative representation remained critical to advancing the party’s programmes, protecting the interests of its supporters and contributing meaningfully to national development.
The party, he said, would continue to mobilise Nigerians around its candidates and promote its political agenda despite its decision not to contest the presidential election.
The APGA spokesman urged members and supporters of the party to remain united and intensify mobilisation for its legislative candidates ahead of the elections.
He also called on them to support President Tinubu’s re-election bid in line with the decision of the party’s National Executive Committee.
The clarification followed questions over why APGA had no presidential candidate listed on INEC’s nomination portal despite submitting candidates for other elective positions.
Opara insisted that the omission was intentional and reflected the party’s adopted strategy for the 2027 elections rather than any problem with the nomination process.
