By Soni Daniel, Henry Umoru, John Alechenu & Luminous Jannamike
ABUJA — The release of the timetable for the February 20, 2027 general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, may have caught most of the registered political parties in the country unprepared for the contest, and they have a tough nut to crack to make up for lost ground.
The situation may be dire for the parties, if the electoral commission brings the polls forward to January 2027 following complaints Muslim leaders and groups that the February 20 date would clash with the Ramadan fast and hugely affect voters’ turnout.
The inability of most of the political parties to put their houses in order and solidify the structures for electing officials and establishing their presence across the country, have put them in a difficult position to compete with the few that are ready for the polls next year.
Findings by Vanguard have revealed that only the All Progressives Congress, APC, and four other parties are on the ground and can proceed with the necessary processes that can lead to the fielding of candidates nationwide, while 16 others are struggling with weak organisation, leadership disputes, funding shortages, and unresolved legal battles.
The commission has fixed February 20, 2027 for presidential and National Assembly elections and March 6, 2027, for governorship and state assembly polls. Under the timeline released recently by INEC, party primaries are scheduled to hold between May 22 and June 20, 2026, while campaign activities are expected to commence in September 2026, effectively placing political organisations on a compressed operational timeline that demands immediate nationwide mobilisation.
Reactions from party leaderships show a mixture of confidence, urgency, and quiet concern, particularly among smaller parties that have yet to complete basic structural requirements such as ward offices, elected executives, or functional national secretariats.
5 parties positioned for nationwide contest
Among the 21 registered parties, only five: the APC; Peoples Democratic Party, PDP;, Labour Party, LP; New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP; and Social Democratic Party, SDP, currently possess national structures, administrative depth, and electoral experience necessary to realistically participate in presidential, National Assembly, governorship, and state assembly contests across most states.
APC’s preparation
While many of the 21 registered political parties are just beginning to wake up from their post-2023 slumber, the ruling APC has effectively been in “election mode” for months.
From aggressive membership drive to the strategic poaching of opposition governors, the APC is demonstrating a level of preparedness that suggests the 2027 race might be won or lost long before the first ballot is cast.
An official of the party, who did not want his name mentioned, said APC’s most visible sign of dominance is its expanding control over the states.
“Through a series of high-profile defections, we have swelled our ranks to 29 governors, leaving the fractured opposition with a mere seven,” he said.
According to him, this “gale of defections” provides the party with a formidable grassroots infrastructure and control over state resources across more than two-thirds of the federation.
Beyond the optics of power, the party has turned its attention to modernizing its internal machinery. The APC has embarked on a nationwide electronic membership registration and revalidation exercise, successfully raking in over 10 million members into a digital database
This move not only provides a verified voter bank but also minimizes the traditional chaos associated with manual party registers. To further professionalize its operations, the party established The Progressive Institute, TPI, a dedicated think-tank designed to formulate policy and train party cadres, ensuring the organization is driven by intellect rather than just impulse.
While the APC consolidates, the leading opposition parties remain mired in existential crises, with the electoral umpire wondering whether they ought to continue to exist as parties.
The APC, as the ruling party, maintains established ward-to-national operational networks and has already begun internal strategic consultations ahead of primaries. Party leadership figures have indicated satisfaction with the election timetable, describing the timeline as sufficient for mobilisation and candidate emergence.
PDP, LP, NNPP’s disputes, factional rifts
The PDP, once the behemoth of Nigerian politics, continues to struggle with leadership disputes and factional rifts that have alienated key stakeholders. Similarly, the Labour Party and the New Nigeria Peoples Party have spent more time in courtrooms and internal disciplinary committees than on the campaign trail.
This internal bleeding has prevented the opposition from forming a cohesive front. While the APC has already rolled out its comprehensive timetable for Ward, Local Government, and State Congresses—leading up to its National Convention—the opposition is still debating who has the legal right to lead their respective National Working Committees NWCs.
But the PDP remains confident of its readiness for the next electoral cycle despite ongoing internal disputes with leaders of rival factions expressing optimism that the party will resolve its differences before the primaries.
The faction led by Kabiru Turaki, through its spokesman Ini Ememobong, reaffirmed that the party would be ready once INEC guarantees credible elections.
“Whenever INEC is ready for the elections the PDP will be ready, provided that they can guarantee free, fair, credible elections,” he said.
Similarly, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed the spokesman of the faction led by Abdulrahman Mohammed, assured members that internal disputes and litigations were being actively pursued and were expected to be resolved before the party’s primary election window.
“We reassure our members particularly those aspiring to contest elective offices that all internal party disputes and pending litigations involving the Party are being diligently pursued and are expected to be conclusively resolved well ahead of the window provided for political parties to conduct their primaries.
“The PDP is fully prepared to meet all Constitutional and Regulatory requirements within the stipulated timelines,” Jungudo said.
Inside PDP’s confidence
A senior party insider, speaking to Vanguard, insisted that despite factional divisions, the PDP remained electorally indispensable.
“For those of us who believe in the party, we strongly believe that, one way or another, the PDP will have candidates in the election… there cannot be an election in Nigeria without the PDP on the ballot,” he stated.
The source said ongoing negotiations and political accommodation would help stabilise the party before the primaries.
“The combination of political acumen and strategy on our side will be difficult to beat,” he added.
However, the insider acknowledged that leadership disputes still pose operational challenges, particularly regarding candidate nomination procedures.
Responding to direct questions about preparedness, the insider maintained that the party would remain competitive nationwide.
“Yes, we are ready. For those of us who believe in the party, we strongly believe that, one way or another, the PDP will have candidates in the election. Whether it is the Wike camp or the camp we support, we firmly believe there cannot be an election in Nigeria without the PDP on the ballot,” the source insisted.
He added that the party was preparing state-by-state strategies and was ready to accommodate defectors or politicians denied tickets in rival parties, noting that consensus arrangements and negotiated withdrawals would help manage internal competition.
The source also stressed that political dynamics differ across states and that performance and local alignments would shape electoral outcomes.
“For the PDP, performance will be a state-by-state matter. All politics is local. The issues will be domesticated, depending on the peculiar circumstances of each state,” the source maintained.
On the leadership tussle, he said a political settlement would be preferable to a prolonged legal battle, warning that persistent divisions could weaken party coordination even if court rulings eventually settle the dispute.
“At the end of the day, nobody truly wins in court. The party cannot move forward if the divisions persist,” he added.
Another senior party insider said the party expected pending judicial decisions to clarify leadership issues before the nomination deadlines.
“We are waiting for judgement… Everyone knows that party primaries must conclude by August or September. These issues need to be resolved before then,” the insider said.
He declared that the PDP’s nationwide structure and political weight would ensure its participation in the elections.
“As I have said, the PDP is too big to ignore. You cannot hold a national election in Nigeria without the PDP on the ballot. It would create serious constitutional and political complications,” he boasted.
LP races to rebuild structures
The Labour Party is intensifying internal reorganisation after months of leadership disputes that slowed party activities nationwide.
The electoral commission’s recognition of Nenadi Usman as national chairman has triggered accelerated membership drives, organisational audits, and nationwide restructuring aimed at expanding the party’s operational reach.
A senior party official said reconciliation and rebuilding remain top priorities, warning dissenting factions against disruptive activities while stressing that court rulings
have already clarified the leadership structure.
Ken Asogwa, Special Adviser (Media) to Nenadi Usman, said: “Our party wish to warn certain members, particularly elements of the former leadership who allegedly attempted to desecrate the Secretariat under the cover of darkness, that the Party will no longer tolerate acts of brigandage from within its ranks.
“The judgment of the Nigerian court is clear and unambiguous regarding the current leadership of the Party.
“The INEC has implemented this judgment by formally recognising Senator Nenadi Usman and Senator Darlington Nwokocha as the National Chairman and National Secretary of the Labour Party, respectively.”
However, rival claims from the faction loyal to Julius Abure indicate that internal stability has not yet been fully achieved.
The faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, said: “The fact remains that Barr. Julius Abure is the National Chairman of the Labour Party because when a party to a dispute obtains a stay of execution on a matter the parties maintain status quo.
“And the status quo in this matter is that the Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC) is the legitimate leadership of the party until the final determination of the substantive suit.”
Meanwhile, the party’s 2023 vice-presidential candidate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has signalled interest in contesting the 2027 presidential election.
“Yes, I am a practising Muslim. But I’m a Nigerian, and the constitution allows me to contest… I’m doing this because Nigeria needs help,” he declared.
ADC signals readiness but raises transparency concerns
The African Democratic Congress welcomed the timetable but raised concerns over electoral transparency and the need for clarity regarding real-time electronic transmission of results.
The party’s spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi, urged the electoral commission to provide early assurances on technology deployment and results-management safeguards.
“We welcome the early release of the timetable, which provides political parties, stakeholders, and the Nigerian electorate with needed clarity for long-term planning and democratic preparation.
“However, the credibility of the 2027 general elections will ultimately not be judged by the timeliness of the timetable alone, but by the Commission’s demonstrable commitment to transparency, technological integrity, and strict adherence to due process throughout the electoral cycle,” Abdullahi said.
NNPP’s force
The NNPP has expressed preparedness for the 2027 general elections, following the release of the timetable.
Having contested across all states in the 2023 elections, the party describes itself as a growing national force. Under leaders such as Rabiu Kwankwaso, it is also open to forming strategic alliances with other opposition leaders and parties, signalling that the 2027 race is likely to be highly competitive.
SDP to present experience
The SDP has also declared its readiness for the 2027 elections. Party leaders, including Mulikat Akande-Adeola, say the party intends to present experienced and trusted candidates, particularly in the South-West.
Despite internal challenges, including the expulsion and defection of prominent members such as Nasir El-Rufai to the ADC, the SDP says it remains focused on rebuilding and strengthening its structures.
16 parties struggle with structural weaknesses
Beyond the five relatively prepared parties, sixteen others face significant structural and operational deficiencies that could limit their ability to field candidates nationwide.
These include the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), African Action Congress (AAC), Action Democratic Party (ADP), Accord, Action Alliance (AA), Boot Party (BP) National Rescue Movement (NRM) Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Young Progressive Party (YPP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Youth Party (YP), Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) – newly registered, Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) – newly registered, Action Peoples Party (APP) and Allied Peoples Movement (APM)
Many of these parties operate without fully functional ward, local government, or state structures, and several are also battling leadership crises, funding shortages, or unresolved court disputes that could complicate participation in the primary election window. Others remain active largely in limited regional strongholds without the nationwide organisational networks necessary for presidential contests.
Timetable forces rapid political realignments
The election schedule has intensified negotiations, alliance discussions, and internal restructuring across the political landscape as parties attempt to meet registration deadlines, conduct primaries, and secure funding for nationwide campaigns. The compressed timeline is particularly challenging for smaller organisations that must simultaneously build structures, recruit candidates, and resolve legal disputes within months.
Even among the larger parties, unresolved factional tensions, leadership battles, and litigation remain potential flashpoints capable of reshaping candidate emergence processes and political alignments ahead of the primaries.
A test of organisational capacity
The timetable has effectively transformed party readiness into a measurable test of institutional capacity, distinguishing parties with nationwide grassroots networks from those that exist largely on paper. While the five major parties appear positioned to compete across the country, the majority of registered organisations must undertake urgent structural rebuilding if they hope to participate meaningfully in all categories of the elections.
With primaries approaching in mid-2026 and campaigns scheduled to begin months later, the months ahead are expected to determine whether currently under-prepared parties can reorganise quickly enough to remain competitive, or whether the next electoral cycle will again be dominated by a small number of structurally established political platforms.
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