The Independent National Electoral Commission has said it will not extend the deadline for the submission of presidential and National Assembly candidates by political parties for the 2027 general elections.
The commission maintained that Saturday, July 11, was the final day for the exercise.
INEC National Commissioner, Mohammed Haruna, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with Sunday PUNCH while providing an update on submissions made by political parties through the commission’s nomination portal.
According to him, political parties had until midnight on Saturday to upload the names of their presidential and N’Assembly candidates, stressing that the commission would not shift the deadline.
He said, “Various parties have uploaded their nominees. They have until 12 midnight to upload. The deadline is still July 11.”
Haruna said 14 political parties had, as of the time of the interview, submitted candidates through the portal.
The parties are: Action Alliance, African Action Congress, African Democratic Congress, All Progressives Congress, All Progressives Grand Alliance, Allied Peoples Movement, Labour Party, Nigeria Democratic Congress, National Rescue Movement, Peoples Democratic Party, Peoples Redemption Party, Social Democratic Party, Young Progressives Party and Zenith Labour Party.
“The political parties that have so far submitted their candidates on the portal are AA, AAC, ADC, APC, APGA, APM, LP, NDC, NRM, PDP, PRP, SDP, YPP and ZLP,” Haruna revealed.
Providing a breakdown of presidential and vice-presidential nominations received, he said, “The parties that have so far submitted their presidential candidates and running mates are AA, AAC, ADC, APC, NDC, PRP, SDP, ZLP and YPP. Those yet to make any submissions are APGA, LP, NRM, APM and PDP.”
INEC had fixed July 11 as the deadline for political parties to upload the names of their presidential and National Assembly candidates for the 2027 general elections.
The electoral umpire had warned that the commission’s portal would reject the names of candidates different from those who emerged from party primaries monitored by it and that only duly nominated candidates would be accepted in line with the Electoral Act and the commission’s regulations.
Speaking further, Haruna disclosed that the APC had yet to submit all its National Assembly candidates, while the PDP had yet to submit the names of its presidential and vice-presidential candidates as of about 8 p.m. on Saturday.
“I can confirm to you that the APC has submitted its presidential candidate and retained Shettima as his running mate. The only thing is that it has not submitted candidates for all the constituencies. I think they have issues with maybe the Senate and House of Representatives, so they have not submitted some of the names.
“The PDP, too, has not submitted its presidential candidate. The faction recognised by INEC has not submitted its presidential candidate,” he added.
Haruna, however, noted that political parties unable to upload the names of their candidates through the nomination portal could still seek substitution in line with the provisions of the electoral timetable.
The INEC commissioner added that parties that encountered challenges during the submission process would not automatically lose the opportunity to field candidates, explaining that the commission would consider any request for substitution based on the laid-down procedures.
Haruna stated that where parties were unable to complete the upload process, they might be required to appear before the commission for further scrutiny.
He said, “When they make submissions, if it is not consistent, they won’t even be able to upload, but that is not the end of the story. When they try to do the substitution and are unable to, eventually, they may have to come physically. The commission will have to sit to interrogate the names they are replacing. That is where the commission will now take a decision.
“You know there is a provision for substitution. There is always a window for substitution of candidates. It is at that time that the commission can decide whether the proper procedures were followed because there is a procedure for substitution or not, and then we will take a decision whether to accept or not.”
The INEC commissioner emphasised that failure to upload candidates’ names did not automatically disqualify a political party from participating in the election.