Breaking: INEC Makes Major Announcement Ahead of 2027 Election
- Nigeria's electoral agency, INEC, approved a new deadline for political parties to submit candidate lists for the 2027 elections
- The Independent National Electoral Commission cited an appeal by the Inter-Party Advisory Council on behalf of parties that missed the original July 11 deadline
- The original timetable required parties to submit presidential and National Assembly nominations between June 27 and July 11, 2026
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
FCT, Abuja - The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has granted political parties three additional days to submit their lists of candidates for the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections, shifting the deadline from Saturday, July 11, 2026, to midnight on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.
The development comes as Nigerians prepare for the 2027 elections.
Source: Twitter
As reported by The Punch, INEC announced the extension in a statement issued on Sunday morning, July 12, via its official X (formerly Twitter) account, signed by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, national commissioner and chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee.
The commission stated that the decision followed a formal appeal from the Inter-Party Advisory Council, which approached INEC on behalf of parties that were unable to upload their candidates' names and personal particulars before the original closing time.
Why couldn't parties meet INEC's deadline?
Under INEC's revised timetable for the 2027 General Election, political parties were required to submit nominations for presidential and federal legislative candidates within a window running from 9 am on Saturday, June 27, to 6 pm on Saturday, July 11.
Per PM News, several parties were reportedly unable to complete their uploads within that period, prompting the council's intervention.
INEC stated that the extension it decided to offer reflects its commitment to inclusivity while operating within the boundaries of the law. The commission also urged all affected parties to take full advantage of the additional window and ensure that all required details are uploaded before the new deadline expires.
What does INEC want political parties to do?
Parties are expected to provide the names, personal particulars, and all other mandatory information relating to their nominated candidates for both the presidential race and National Assembly seats. INEC did not indicate that any further extensions would be considered beyond the new midnight deadline of July 14.
Read the commission's full announcement on X below:
Source: Twitter
Read more on INEC
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- INEC commences recruitment for ad-hoc staff, releases guidelines on how to apply
- INEC takes decision on extending voter registration ahead of 2027 election
MURIC asks Tinubu to sack INEC chairman
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) called for the immediate sack of the INEC chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan.
The executive director of the Islamic group, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, posited that Amupitan cannot be trusted.
Source: Legit.ng
