Three Political Parties Miss INEC Deadline for Presidential Candidate Submission
Three political parties failed to submit the names of their presidential and vice-presidential candidates before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) closed its nomination portal at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, raising questions about their participation in the next stage of preparations for the 2027 general election.
According to a senior INEC official who spoke anonymously because he was not authorised to address the media, the affected parties are the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aligned with Nyesom Wike, and the Labour Party (LP) faction led by Nenadi Usman.
The official noted that nearly all other registered political parties completed the submission process before the deadline.
“Only three political parties had not uploaded the names of their presidential and vice-presidential candidates before the portal closed. Every other party complied with the requirement,” the source said.
INEC had earlier extended the submission deadline from July 11 to July 14 after several political parties requested additional time to complete their nomination processes. The commission, however, maintained that the latest extension would be the final one.
With the portal now closed, INEC is expected to begin reviewing the nominations and accompanying documents submitted by political parties in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act and its regulations.
Among the parties that successfully completed the process are the All Progressives Congress (APC), which retained President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima as its presidential ticket for the 2027 election.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) also submitted the names of its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, alongside his running mate, Rotimi Amaechi, while the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) uploaded Peter Obi as its presidential candidate with Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as his running mate.
INEC sources also disclosed that a number of political parties uploaded only the names of their presidential candidates, leaving the running mate section incomplete before the deadline expired.
Despite the conclusion of candidate submissions, uncertainty remains in some states over the identities of National Assembly candidates eventually uploaded to the commission’s portal.
Reports indicate that disagreements persist in Benue, Kwara and Nasarawa states regarding some nominations.
Meanwhile, legal disputes surrounding the African Democratic Congress (ADC) continue to generate uncertainty following a Court of Appeal judgment that upheld an earlier order restraining INEC from recognising congresses conducted by the faction led by former Senate President David Mark.
However, as of Tuesday evening, INEC’s portal still listed David Mark as the party’s National Chairman, with former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola remaining National Secretary, indicating that no changes had yet been made to the party’s recognised leadership.
The development has sparked fresh debate over how the court ruling could affect the validity of candidates submitted by the ADC ahead of the general election.
The party also called on law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute former Deputy National Chairman, Nafiu Bala Gombe, after INEC dismissed his claim that he had obtained the commission’s access code and uploaded candidates on behalf of the party.
ADC described the document circulated by Gombe as forged and said such actions could undermine public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.
In a related development, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) confirmed that it had successfully gained access to the INEC nomination portal and submitted the names of its candidates despite ongoing legal proceedings affecting the party.
Similarly, the faction of the Peoples Democratic Party backed by Nyesom Wike announced that it had uploaded its presidential, vice-presidential and National Assembly candidates before the deadline, although INEC sources maintained that the party’s submission was not reflected among those completed before the portal closed.
Elsewhere, the fate of the Accord Party’s presidential ticket remains before the courts.
A suit filed by presidential aspirant Olawepo Gbenga-Hashim, who is seeking recognition as the party’s lawful candidate or, alternatively, a fresh primary election, was adjourned until Wednesday after fresh court documents were served on his legal team shortly before proceedings began.
INEC has yet to confirm whether his name was eventually uploaded to its nomination portal, pending the outcome of the legal challenge.
