The All Progressives Congress ( APC) has chosen August 22, 2026, as the date for its internal contests to determine flagbearers for eight vacant or restored legislative seats across Delta, Kogi, Gombe, Bauchi and Kano states.
The decision was contained in a fresh electoral programme issued by the party on Wednesday and signed by its National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Argungu.
The exercise became necessary after the Independent National Electoral Commission reinstated four State Assembly constituencies that had previously been left out of the electoral structure in Delta and Kogi following court decisions.
Delta accounts for three of the restored seats — Abraka, Isoko North II and Ughelli South II — while Kogi has Yagba West II.
The party will also use the exercise to pick candidates for vacant seats in other parts of the country. These include the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency; Disina and Sakwa State Constituencies in Bauchi; Udu State Constituency in Delta; and Dawakin Kudu State Constituency in Kano.
The APC’s programme provides for the distribution and purchase of forms from August 18 through August 20. Aspirants must submit their completed paperwork and other required documents no later than August 20.
Candidate verification is scheduled for August 21, alongside the release of screening outcomes and consideration of objections arising from the process.
The party will conduct the decisive voting among its members the following day, August 22, with complaints concerning the outcome to be handled on August 24.
Those seeking the APC ticket for a State Assembly position will pay N1 million for the expression of interest form and N5 million for the nomination form.
The financial requirement for a House of Representatives aspirant is N1 million for expression of interest and N9 million for nomination.
The party, however, approved concessions for women, young people and persons with disabilities. Such aspirants will pay the full expression of interest charge but only half of the applicable nomination fee.
All required payments, the APC stated, must be made directly into the party’s approved bank account.
The development comes after INEC restored the four affected constituencies, ending years during which voters in those areas lacked direct representation in their respective State Houses of Assembly.
The party’s exercise will also produce its candidate for the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency, where the legislative seat became vacant after the death of lawmaker Tongo Yaya.
