The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have successfully uploaded the names of their presidential, vice-presidential and National Assembly candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Candidate Nomination Portal, following the commission’s decision to extend the submission deadline.
INEC announced on Sunday that it had shifted the deadline for political parties to submit candidates’ names and personal particulars for the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections from July 11 to midnight on July 14, 2026.
In a statement signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, the commission said the extension was approved after the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) appealed on behalf of political parties that were unable to complete the nomination process within the original timeframe.
According to INEC, the extension is aimed at ensuring inclusiveness in the electoral process while remaining within the provisions of the Electoral Act.
APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, confirmed that the ruling party had completed the upload of all its candidates, including its presidential and vice-presidential flag bearers, 109 senatorial candidates and 360 House of Representatives candidates.
“I congratulate our candidates, leaders and members of APC on the successful 100 per cent upload of our presidential, vice-presidential, Senate and House of Representatives candidates on the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal,” Yilwatda said in a post on X, adding that the party would now focus on mobilisation and preparations for the 2027 general elections.
The PDP also confirmed the successful upload of its presidential candidate, running mate and National Assembly candidates. The party’s National Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, described the completion of the exercise as another milestone for the opposition party.
Reacting to the development, the APC criticised opposition parties that failed to meet the original deadline, saying their inability to conclude the nomination process on schedule raised concerns about their organisational capacity and readiness for the 2027 elections.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the ruling party said although INEC acted within its legal powers by granting an extension, the delay exposed the opposition’s internal weaknesses.
INEC urged political parties yet to complete the process to use the additional time to upload their candidates’ details before the new deadline of midnight on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.
