The All Progressives Congress (APC) has submitted the names of its candidates to the Sokoto State Independent Electoral Commission for the local government elections scheduled for September 21.

The chairman of the Commission, Aliyu Suleiman, who received the list at the weekend, assured political parties of a level playing field.

"We will do our best to ensure all parties get the right chance and opportunity to present candidates for the election," he vowed.

Suleiman said the commission would start screening candidates on August 8, clarifying that the screening aims to ensure the presentation of the best candidates, not to target any specific individuals. He thanked the APC for submitting its list well before the commission's deadline.

The state chairman of the APC, Isa Sadiq Achida, while presenting the list, said that it was in compliance with the commission's guidelines for political parties.

He also pledged the party's support and cooperation to ensure smooth elections and commended the commission for sending representatives to observe their primary elections.

According to Achida, 23 candidates are contesting for chairmanship positions and 244 for councillorship.

Meanwhile, the state's main opposition party, the People's Democratic Party (PDP), is still deliberating on whether to participate in the elections. Its state Chairman, Bello Goronyo stated this in an interview.