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INEC Warns Political Parties Against Last-Minute Candidate Nominations, Says Only Nine Have Collected 2027 Portal Access Codes
The INEC commissioner also urged political parties to comply strictly with the commission’s guidelines on candidate nominations, noting that party officials had already undergone training on the nomination process.
Abuja, Nigeria– The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned political parties against delaying the submission of candidates’ nomination forms for the 2027 general elections, stressing that parties that wait until the deadline do so at their own risk.
INEC’s National Commissioner in charge of Voter Education and Publicity, Malam Mohammed Haruna, disclosed on Tuesday in Abuja that only nine registered political parties had collected the access codes required to upload candidates’ particulars for the Presidential and National Assembly elections through the commission’s online nomination portal.
“As of the close of work on Monday, nine political parties have collected the access code for the national elections,” Haruna said.
He identified the parties as Accord (A), Action Alliance (AA), African Democratic Congress (ADC), All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party (LP), National Democratic Congress (NDC), National Democratic Party (NDP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), and Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Haruna clarified that it is the responsibility of political parties contesting the elections to approach the commission to obtain the access codes, rather than expecting INEC to deliver them to party secretariats.
According to him, anyone seeking to collect the code on behalf of a political party must present a letter of authorization from the party’s leadership.
The INEC commissioner also urged political parties to comply strictly with the commission’s guidelines on candidate nominations, noting that party officials had already undergone training on the nomination process.
He cautioned against postponing submissions until the final hours, despite the commission’s decision to extend its daily submission window.
“INEC has been generous by extending the deadline from the close of work to midnight of the deadline date. If any political party decides to wait until the deadline, INEC cannot be blamed for that,” Haruna said.
Under the commission’s timetable for the 2027 general elections, political parties are expected to submit nomination forms for presidential and National Assembly candidates between June 27 and July 11 through INEC’s designated candidate nomination portal.
The timetable further provides that the submission of nomination forms for governorship and State House of Assembly elections will take place between July 18 and August 8.
