The APC national chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, has warned INEC against altering the 2027 election timetable in a way that could favour any party. He spoke while hosting an ECOWAS pre-election fact-finding mission in Abuja. The mission was led by former Sierra Leone vice-president Victor Foh. Yilwatda said the APC has about 13 million registered members. His aide, Abimbola Tooki, issued a statement on Sunday.
Election timetables have been contested in every cycle since 2015. In 2018, parties accused INEC of shifting dates to favour the incumbent. In 2022, the Electoral Act set clearer deadlines. The commission has repeatedly said it follows the law, not political pressure. The current timetable has 14 major statutory activities. INEC says nine are complete.
The warning came on the same day INEC chairman Joash Amupitan addressed the same ECOWAS mission. Amupitan said the commission favours no candidate and no party. He said registered voters exceed 103 million. Elections will hold in 8,809 registration areas across 774 local government areas.
The two statements are not contradictory. They are a negotiation. The APC is telling INEC not to move the goalposts. INEC is telling observers it will not. The mission is caught in between. ECOWAS fact-finding teams are meant to assess preparedness. They also serve as witnesses. If the timetable changes later, both sides will cite this meeting.
The membership claim is political. Thirteen million registered members would make the APC the largest party in Africa. There is no independent register to verify it. The figure is a signal of strength, not a data point. INEC’s 103 million registered voters is the only number that matters on election day. The APC’s claim is a reminder that party membership lists are unregulated. INEC has said it will require verified registers under the Supreme Court ruling. That requirement may shrink the APC’s claimed base.
Winners: The APC, which put its warning on record. INEC, which restated its neutrality before international observers. ECOWAS, which gained access to both sides. Losers: Opposition parties, which were not in the room. Voters, who hear claims and counter-claims. INEC, if the timetable is challenged later. The APC, if its 13 million figure is questioned.
Bottom Line: The APC warned INEC. INEC promised neutrality. ECOWAS listened. The timetable is the test. If it holds, trust grows. If it shifts, the warning becomes evidence.