Fresh controversy has emerged over preparations for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections after sources within the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) disclosed that no registered political party, including the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), met the Commission’s original 11 July 2026 deadline for uploading the names of their presidential and National Assembly candidates.
According to the sources, the original deadline had to be extended to 14 July 2026 because several political parties failed to complete the upload of their candidates on the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal (ICNP). One official reportedly revealed that more than 70 per cent of the APC’s candidates had not been uploaded by the initial deadline, contradicting earlier public claims that the ruling party had fully complied before the extension was announced.
The disclosure challenges statements previously issued by the APC, which had congratulated its leadership and candidates for allegedly achieving “100 per cent upload” before the original deadline. The party had also argued that INEC’s extension was granted mainly to assist opposition parties that were unable to conclude their nomination process on time.
INEC had announced the extension following an appeal by the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), stating that several political parties required additional time to upload the names and personal particulars of their candidates. The Commission said the decision was taken within its legal powers to ensure that the nomination process remained inclusive and orderly.
The latest revelations have raised fresh questions about transparency and internal organisation within Nigeria’s political parties as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum. They also highlight the administrative challenges facing parties during the candidate nomination process, despite repeated assurances of readiness for the polls. While the claims originated from unnamed INEC sources and have not been formally confirmed by the Commission, they have intensified political debate over compliance with the electoral timetable.
