The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to adhere strictly to its published timetable for the 2027 general elections, insisting that electoral rules and deadlines must apply equally to all political parties.

The APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, made the call while receiving a pre-election fact-finding mission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), led by former Vice-President of Sierra Leone, Victor Bockarie Foh, at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

Yilwatda stressed the need for a fair, transparent and predictable electoral process, warning against any adjustment of deadlines that could give one political party an undue advantage.

He disclosed that the APC had inaugurated its campaign council, commenced campaign activities and uploaded its candidates’ details to the INEC portal ahead of other parties.

The chairman also claimed that the party had approximately 13 million registered members, over 261,000 executive members and controlled 31 of the country’s 36 states. He added that the APC had 88 senators and 208 members of the House of Representatives.

Yilwatda further revealed that more than 7,000 aspirants contested for various positions during the party’s primaries, noting that the exercise recorded relatively few post-primary court cases.

Despite its numerical strength, he maintained that the APC had no intention of suppressing opposition parties, calling for equal access to the media, campaign venues and other legitimate opportunities for all political parties.

He cited protests against President Bola Tinubu’s administration, including the ‘Tinubu Must Go’ demonstrations, as evidence that citizens and opposition groups could express their grievances.

Earlier, the leader of the ECOWAS mission, Victor Bockarie Foh, said the delegation was conducting a political assessment to support the organisation of free, fair and transparent elections in Nigeria.

Foh explained that the mission relied on scientific observation, information verification and data collection to assess political developments, adding that the APC chairman’s presentation had provided valuable insight into the party’s structure and preparations for the 2027 elections.