APC Legislative Primaries: Party Fixes August 22 For State, Federal Contests
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has fixed Saturday, August 22, 2026, for primary elections to select candidates for four restored State House of Assembly constituencies in Delta and Kogi states, as well as legislative bye-elections across four other states, in a timetable released by the party’s National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Argungu.
The exercise covers four restored State House of Assembly constituencies in Delta and Kogi, as well as legislative vacancies in Gombe, Bauchi, Delta and Kano. In Delta, the restored constituencies are Abraka, Isoko North II and Ughelli South II, while Yagba West II is in Kogi State. For the bye-elections, the APC listed Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency in Gombe State, Disina and Sakwa State Constituencies in Bauchi, Udu State Constituency in Delta and Dawakin Kudu State Constituency in Kano. According to one report, the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye seat fell vacant following the death of the constituency’s lawmaker, Tongo Yaya. PM News NigeriaPM News Nigeria
The party said the timetable followed the Independent National Electoral Commission’s restoration of four previously suppressed constituencies in Delta and Kogi after court judgments. The development comes after court judgments prompted INEC to restore four constituencies that had previously been suppressed, giving affected communities an opportunity to regain direct representation. The impacted constituencies had reportedly been suppressed for years, leaving their communities without direct representation in their respective State Houses of Assembly. PM News NigeriaGistReel
Laying out the timeline for the process, the APC’s schedule shows that the sale of forms took place from Tuesday, August 18, to Thursday, August 20, while the last day for submission of completed forms and accompanying documents was August 20. The party has scheduled the screening of aspirants, publishing of screening results, and screening appeals for Friday, August 21, prior to the primary election on Saturday, August 22. Election appeals arising from the primaries are billed to follow shortly after, scheduled for Monday, August 24. Kemi Filani + 2
On the financial requirements for intending candidates, for House of Assembly aspirants, the expression of interest form costs N1 million, while the nomination form costs N5 million, bringing the total to N6 million. House of Representatives aspirants will pay N1 million for expression of interest and N9 million for the nomination form, amounting to N10 million. The party made concessions for certain categories of aspirants, stating that “Female Aspirants, Youth, and Physically Challenged Aspirants are to pay for the expression of interest and 50% of the prescribed nomination fees for each position.” PM News NigeriaChronicle NG
On payment procedure, the APC further directed that “all payments should be made in full directly into the designated bank account of the All Progressives Congress.” Chronicle NG
The bye-elections themselves cover a spread of constituencies across northern and southern Nigeria, reflecting a mix of vacancies created by legal rulings and other circumstances. Beyond the restored Delta and Kogi seats, the party will also conduct primaries in Bauchi’s Disina and Sakwa State Constituencies, Delta’s Udu State Constituency, and Kano’s Dawakin Kudu State Constituency, alongside the Gombe federal constituency seat.
The August 22 primaries represent an important early test of internal party organisation ahead of a series of legislative bye-elections, coming at a time when the APC continues to navigate the fallout from its defeat in the Osun State governorship election held the previous weekend. As the ruling party works through its candidate selection process for these contested seats, attention will turn to how smoothly the exercise proceeds and whether the outcomes trigger further disputes or appeals within the party’s ranks, given the history of tension surrounding some of the affected constituencies.
As of the time of filing, INEC had not released its own official timetable specifically for the legislative bye-elections tied to these primaries, though the APC’s schedule signals the party’s determination to move quickly in filling the affected seats.
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