By Ahmed Yusuf, Abuja
Political parties are intensifying efforts to resolve post-primary disputes and finalise their candidate lists after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) fixed July 11, 2026, as the deadline for the submission of candidates’ particulars for the 2027 general elections.
INEC announced that official access codes for its Candidate Nomination Portal will be issued to political parties on June 26, while the portal will open for uploads on June 27.
Speaking during the Second Quarterly Consultative Meeting with leaders of registered political parties in Abuja on Tuesday, INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, urged parties to ensure that their ICT personnel and authorised officials are fully prepared, stressing that the automated portal would close immediately after the deadline.
According to him, only candidates whose details are submitted within the stipulated period will be eligible to contest under their respective party platforms.
Amupitan also expressed concern over unresolved leadership disputes and court cases within political parties, warning that such conflicts could affect electoral preparations if not quickly resolved.
He reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to conducting credible elections in line with the Constitution and the Electoral Act, while urging political parties to promote peaceful campaigns, discourage violence and vote-buying, and mobilise citizens for the Continuous Voter Registration exercise.
The INEC chairman disclosed that the commission had appealed two recent Federal High Court judgments challenging aspects of its electoral timetable.
The first ruling, delivered in a suit filed by the Youth Party, questioned some timelines contained in the schedule, while the second, instituted by the Social Democratic Party (SDP), upheld INEC’s power to issue an electoral timetable but nullified certain timelines relating to candidate nomination and substitution.
Amupitan maintained that the electoral timetable consists of interconnected activities that cannot be separated without disrupting the entire election process.
He listed critical activities such as monitoring party primaries, verifying membership registers, candidate nominations, printing ballot papers, configuring the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, procurement of election materials, personnel training and voter education as integral parts of the process.
Despite the legal challenges, he assured Nigerians that preparations for the 2027 elections would continue in line with existing court directives.
Meanwhile, several political parties said they were on course to meet the deadline.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) said it was resolving appeals arising from its primaries before forwarding the names of successful candidates to INEC.
The Young Progressives Party (YPP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) said they would upload their candidates’ details immediately the nomination portal becomes operational.
The SDP said it was compiling documents for the submission of candidates for all elective offices, while the Labour Party (LP) disclosed that its National Executive Committee would ratify the nomination list before forwarding it to INEC.
The Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) also said it had concluded its primaries and was ready to submit the names of its candidates.
The LP and SDP further confirmed that consultations were ongoing over the selection of their vice-presidential candidates.
LP spokesman, Ken Asogwa, said discussions on the running mate of the party’s presidential candidate, Dr. Chibuzo Okereke, would soon be concluded.
Similarly, SDP National Publicity Secretary, Rufus Aiyenigba, said the party’s presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, was consulting widely before announcing his running mate.
So far, the NDC remains the only party to have unveiled a vice-presidential candidate, with its presidential flag bearer, Peter Obi, naming former Kano State Governor Musa Kwankwaso as his running mate.
In a related development, former Vice President and ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has intensified consultations ahead of naming his running mate.
Atiku recently met with former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi in Abuja, a move believed to be part of broader political consultations ahead of the 2027 election.
Sources within the party said Amaechi is being considered for the position, although another group is reportedly backing media entrepreneur and politician, Dele Momodu.
Reacting to the meeting, Atiku’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications, Phrank Shaibu, described it as part of ongoing consultations aimed at building a stronger democratic alternative ahead of the 2027 general elections.
