2027: INEC Warns Parties Against Last-Minute Candidate Uploads as Nine Collect Access Codes

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned political parties against waiting until the closing hours of the nomination period to upload the particulars of their presidential and National Assembly candidates for the 2027 general election, cautioning that procrastination could create avoidable challenges in meeting statutory deadlines.

The electoral umpire disclosed that nine registered political parties have already collected the access codes required to complete and submit their candidates' nomination forms through the commission's online portal.

The warning comes as political parties intensify preparations to beat the deadline for the submission of candidates for the 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections, with INEC insisting that compliance with its timetable remains the responsibility of each party.

Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday, INEC National Commissioner for Voter Education and Publicity, Malam Mohammed Haruna, urged party officials to commence the upload process early rather than waiting until the final day.

"As of the close of work on Monday, nine political parties have collected the access code for the national elections," Haruna said.

Haruna identified the political parties that have obtained access to the commission's nomination portal 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)

Social Democratic Party (SDP)

According to him, the responsibility for collecting the access credentials rests squarely with the political parties.

He explained that INEC would not deliver access codes to party headquarters, stressing that authorised representatives must obtain them directly from the commission.

To safeguard the integrity of the nomination process, Haruna said anyone collecting an access code on behalf of a political party must present a formal letter of authorisation from the party's leadership.

The National Commissioner said the commission had already issued detailed guidelines governing candidate nominations and had trained representatives of political parties on how to use the online nomination portal.

He therefore urged parties to strictly comply with the commission's procedures to avoid unnecessary complications.

Haruna also reminded political parties that although INEC has demonstrated flexibility by extending submission deadlines to midnight on the closing date, the commission would not accept responsibility for failures arising from delays by party officials.

"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," he warned.

Under INEC's approved timetable for the 2027 general election, political parties are expected to submit the nomination forms of their presidential and National Assembly candidates through the commission's designated online portal between June 27 and July 11, 2026.

Following the completion of that phase, the commission will open nominations for governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.

According to the electoral timetable, submissions for governorship and state assembly candidates will commence on July 18 and close on August 8, 2026.