Political parties are intensifying efforts to settle post-primary disagreements, finalise candidate rosters and conclude negotiations on vice-presidential nominees after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced June 26 for the issuance of access credentials to its nomination portal and July 11 as the deadline for submitting candidates’ details for the 2027 general elections.
With appeals, leadership disputes and complaints from aggrieved aspirants still emerging in several parties, INEC has cautioned that unresolved internal crises and ongoing legal challenges to its electoral timetable could affect preparations for the polls. Meanwhile, major political parties are working against time to complete their nominations and presidential tickets before the deadline.
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The African Democratic Congress (ADC), Young Progressives Party (YPP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) have all indicated readiness to forward the names of their candidates to the electoral commission following the completion of their primaries.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, made the announcement on Tuesday in Abuja during the commission’s Second Quarterly Consultative Meeting with leaders of registered political parties.
According to him, authorised party officials will receive access codes on June 26, enabling them to upload the names and particulars of candidates through INEC’s dedicated nomination portal from June 27.
The commission stated that all submissions must be completed on or before July 11, stressing that only candidates whose details are successfully uploaded within the stipulated period will be eligible to contest under their respective party platforms.
Amupitan explained that the access credentials would be issued to designated national officers responsible for entering candidates’ biodata and other required information into the system.
He urged political parties to ensure their ICT teams and relevant officials are adequately prepared, warning that the portal would automatically shut down once the deadline expires.
“The commission will issue official access codes to political parties on June 26 for access to the Candidate Nomination Portal. These codes will enable designated officers to upload candidates’ names and required information. Parties should ensure that all submissions are completed before the deadline, as the portal will close automatically at the end of the prescribed period,” he said.
The INEC chairman also expressed concern over lingering court cases relating to party leadership disputes, describing them as avoidable distractions capable of disrupting election preparations.
He appealed to political stakeholders to settle internal disagreements promptly in order to maintain the electoral timetable.
Reaffirming the commission’s neutrality, Amupitan assured parties that INEC would continue to carry out its responsibilities fairly and in accordance with constitutional and legal provisions.
He further encouraged political parties to strengthen voter education campaigns and mobilise eligible citizens to participate in the Continuous Voter Registration exercise and obtain their Permanent Voter Cards ahead of the elections.
According to him, the credibility of the 2027 elections will depend not only on INEC’s readiness but also on the commitment of political parties to democratic values, transparent primaries, peaceful campaigns and adherence to the rule of law.
Amupitan also reiterated that the commission would continue to treat all political parties equally while strictly complying with the Constitution, the Electoral Act and relevant guidelines.
Despite pending appeals arising from two Federal High Court judgments affecting aspects of its election timetable, he maintained that preparations for the 2027 polls would proceed in line with existing legal directives.
The commission disclosed that it had challenged the rulings at the appellate courts, arguing that the judgments raised important questions regarding its constitutional authority to coordinate electoral activities.
One of the judgments, delivered in a suit filed by the Youth Party, questioned certain timelines contained in the election schedule, while another ruling in a case brought by the Social Democratic Party upheld INEC’s authority to issue an election timetable but invalidated some provisions relating to candidate nomination and substitution.
INEC argued that the electoral timetable consists of interconnected activities that cannot be separated without affecting the integrity of the overall process.
Amupitan noted that election planning involves a range of activities, including verification of party membership registers, monitoring primaries, uploading primary election results, candidate nominations, ballot printing, logistics deployment, voter education, staff training and the configuration of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System.
He stressed that these processes are closely linked and must operate within a coordinated framework to guarantee transparency, fairness and administrative efficiency.
According to him, disrupting one component of the timetable could create uncertainty and undermine the smooth conduct of the elections.
He assured Nigerians that the legal disputes would not derail preparations for the 2027 general elections and reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to delivering credible polls.
Meanwhile, political parties have continued preparations for candidate submissions.
ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the party was currently addressing appeals and complaints arising from its primaries before forwarding the names of successful candidates to INEC.
He explained that the party was prioritising internal dispute resolution to avoid potential legal complications that could arise from unresolved grievances.
The Young Progressives Party also confirmed its readiness to comply with INEC’s guidelines. Its National Publicity Secretary, Wale Egbeola-Martins, stated that the party would commence uploading candidates’ details immediately the portal becomes operational.
Similarly, APGA spokesperson Ejimofor Opara disclosed that the party had completed the compilation of its candidates’ list and would upload the information once the portal opens.
The Social Democratic Party also revealed that it was finalising the documentation required for the submission of candidates across all elective positions.
According to SDP National Publicity Secretary, Rufus Aiyenigba, the party is processing records relating to candidates who emerged from its presidential, governorship, National Assembly and state assembly primaries.
The Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) said it had concluded its primary elections and was prepared to submit the names of successful candidates to the commission.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, maintained that there was no legal requirement for political parties to publicly publish their candidates’ lists, provided the information was formally submitted to INEC.
The Labour Party also expressed confidence that it would meet the deadline. Its National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa, disclosed that the party’s National Executive Committee would meet this week to ratify the nomination list before forwarding it to the electoral commission.
Beyond candidate submissions, consultations on vice-presidential nominees are still ongoing in some parties.
The Labour Party, which nominated Dr. Chibuzo Okereke as its presidential candidate, said discussions regarding a running mate were nearing completion.
Likewise, the SDP confirmed that its presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, was consulting extensively within the party before announcing his choice for vice president.
Aiyenigba said the consultation process was designed to ensure that the eventual nominee enjoys broad support across the party.
So far, the Nigerian Democratic Congress remains the only major party to have unveiled a vice-presidential candidate.
Its presidential flag bearer, Peter Obi, recently named former Kano State Governor Musa Kwankwaso as his running mate shortly after securing the party’s ticket for the 2027 presidential election.
Both Obi and Kwankwaso had earlier left the African Democratic Congress for the Nigerian Democratic Congress, citing internal divisions and prolonged legal disputes within their former political platform.
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