2027 Elections: INEC Warns Parties Against Last-Minute Upload Of Candidates’ Details, Says Only Nine Collected Access Codes
The INEC commissioner also urged political parties to comply strictly with the commission’s guidelines for candidate nomination, noting that party officials had already been trained on the nomination process.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned political parties against waiting until the deadline to upload the particulars of their candidates for the 2027 general elections, stressing that parties would bear responsibility for any delays in the nomination process.
The commission disclosed that only nine registered political parties had so far collected the access codes required to complete and submit nomination forms through its online candidate nomination portal for the presidential and National Assembly elections.
Speaking in Abuja, the INEC National Commissioner in charge of Voter Education and Publicity, Malam Mohammed Haruna, confirmed that the parties had collected the codes as of the close of business on Monday.
According to him, the parties are 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 INEC to obtain the access codes, rather than expecting the electoral body to deliver them to party secretariats.
He added that anyone seeking to collect the code on behalf of a political party must present an authorisation letter from the party’s leadership.
The INEC commissioner also urged political parties to comply strictly with the commission’s guidelines for candidate nomination, noting that party officials had already been trained on the nomination process.
He warned against postponing submissions until the final day, saying that although INEC had introduced measures to ease the process, the commission would not be held responsible for delays caused by political parties.
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 the designated online portal.
The timetable also provides that nomination forms for governorship and State House of Assembly candidates will be submitted between July 18 and August 8.
Leave a Reply