INEC Deadline Puts Parties Under Pressure Over 2027 Candidate Uploads

Political parties are racing to meet INEC’s July 11 deadline for uploading presidential and National Assembly candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.

The commission set 6 p.m. on Saturday as the closing time for parties to submit nomination forms through its online portal.

Punch reported that the exercise began on June 27 and covers Forms EC9 and EC9A to EC9E under Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026.

The same timetable puts governorship and state House of Assembly submissions between July 18 and August 8. INEC is expected to publish the personal particulars of presidential and National Assembly candidates on August 1, while governorship and state assembly details are due on August 29.

Vanguard reported that major parties gave different accounts of the process. The APC, PDP and ADC said they had been able to upload candidates, while some smaller parties complained about portal hitches and unresolved internal issues.

Some parties are also still dealing with running mate choices and disputes from primaries, leaving them with little time before the portal closes.

The deadline matters because failure to upload the required forms within INEC’s window could leave parties exposed to legal disputes or shut them out of parts of the election timetable.

Sources: Punch, Vanguard