The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has extended deadline for submission of forms.
The APC said the development becomes necessary to enable its presidential aspirants adequate opportunity to return their nomination and expression of interest forms.
While the sale of forms officially closed on Tuesday, indications emerged yesterday that the party will also extend the exercise till Friday.
The submission of forms was scheduled to be a one-day event but party sources said some of the high-profile aspirants, including former President Goodluck Jonathan, were yet to turn in their documents as at noon yesterday.
It was gathered that one of the chieftains of the party and one-time information minister in the Sani Abacha regime, Chief Ikeobasi Mokelu, only on Tuesday night picked the presidential nomination and expression of interest forms and hence the need to give room to him and others, who entered the race late enough time to fill the forms.
When contacted, National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Felix Morka, said both the sales and submission of forms had now been extended till Friday.
He did not, however, advance reasons for the decision.
A party source disclosed that:
“A lot is required to fill the presidential forms and some of them picked the forms late. The whole country is their constituency and so they have to get delegates from across the country to sign some aspects of the forms.
“So, we reckon that one day will not be enough for some of those who picked the forms close to the deadline. So, there is a proposal for extension and I am sure that a formal announcement would be made in that regard “.