The All Progressives Congress has postponed its primary election for House of Representatives aspirants to Saturday, May 16, 2026.
The primaries were initially scheduled to hold on Friday but were rescheduled following a decision announced by the party on Thursday.
In a statement issued by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the party confirmed that the revised date affects only the House of Representatives primaries, while the schedules for other primary elections remain unchanged.
According to the party, the timetable for the primaries is as follows:
* House of Representatives — Saturday, May 16, 2026
* Senate — Monday, May 18, 2026
* State Houses of Assembly — Wednesday, May 20, 2026
* Governorship — Thursday, May 21, 2026
* Presidential — Saturday, May 23, 2026
Meanwhile, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged members of the ruling party to shun infighting and avoid “do-or-die” politics ahead of the nationwide primaries.
In a statement personally signed on Thursday, Tinubu called on aspirants, party leaders, and delegates to conduct themselves peacefully and uphold the principles of internal democracy, fairness, and sportsmanship throughout the exercise.
The President described the primaries — beginning with the House of Representatives contest and ending with the presidential primary — as critical to the unity and future of the APC.
“We should not play the politics of old; the do-or-die politics that we have put behind us. Politics should never be a zero-sum game,” Tinubu stated.
He urged party members to approach the primaries as an opportunity to strengthen unity rather than create divisions.
“Election is an essential ingredient of democracy. Where consensus fails, I urge us all to go into the primaries as brothers and sisters,” he said.
“All participants in the primaries, whether as contestants or voters, must keep the peace and be ready to act as sportsmen and women in the overall interest of the party and our country.”
Tinubu also cautioned against actions capable of undermining democracy and party cohesion, stressing that winners should avoid triumphalism while those who lose should accept the outcome in good faith.
