The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has released the timetable for its primary elections ahead of the 2027 general elections, with presidential aspirants expected to pay ₦60 million for Nomination and Expression of Interest forms.
PrimeTimes Nigeria reports that the National Chairman of the party, Moses Cleopas, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday.
According to Cleopas, the sale of forms will commence from May 13 to May 18 as part of the party’s preparations for its internal electoral process.
The statement added that aspirants are expected to attend screening exercises with all relevant credentials and supporting documents.
“The sale of nomination forms will commence immediately after the screening exercise from Thursday, May 21 to Saturday, May 23, 2026, while completed forms must be submitted on or before Monday, May 25,” the statement read.
The party said appeals arising from the screening exercise would be entertained on May 25 and 26.
It added that primary elections for different elective offices would hold on May 27 and 28, while the presidential primary election has been fixed for May 29 in Abuja.
Cleopas explained that aspirants for state Houses of Assembly would be screened in their respective states.
He added that screening for National Assembly and presidential aspirants would take place at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja.
According to him, all aspirants would also be required to sign an undertaking in line with the party’s guidelines and code of conduct.
The NDC further announced that it would adopt the “open secret ballot” system during its primaries.
The party said the method was aimed at guaranteeing credibility, fairness and internal democracy in the conduct of the exercise.
NDC 2027 election schedule
Under the approved fee structure released by the party, aspirants for state Houses of Assembly are expected to pay ₦2.5m for both Expression of Interest and Nomination forms.
House of Representatives aspirants will pay ₦6m, while Senate aspirants are expected to pay ₦8m.
Governorship hopefuls will pay ₦30m.
For the presidential ticket, aspirants are to pay ₦20m for the Expression of Interest form and ₦40m for the Nomination form, bringing the total to ₦60m.
The party also announced concessions for female aspirants and persons living with disabilities.
According to the statement, female aspirants will pay 50 per cent of the approved fees, while persons living with disabilities will pay 25 per cent across all categories.
The NDC reaffirmed its commitment to conducting transparent and credible primaries capable of producing competent candidates for the 2027 elections.