Political parties now have until midnight on July 14 to submit the names and personal particulars of their presidential and National Assembly candidates after the electoral commission approved a three-day extension following an appeal by the Inter-Party Advisory Council.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the names and personal particulars of their candidates for the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections.
The commission said the deadline, originally scheduled to expire on Saturday, July 11, has been extended to midnight on Tuesday, July 14.
The extension affects the submission of candidates under the commission’s revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general election, which required political parties to upload the names and personal particulars of their presidential and National Assembly candidates by the earlier deadline.
INEC said the decision followed requests from political parties that were unable to complete the submission process within the stipulated timeframe.
In a statement issued on Saturday, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said the commission approved the extension after receiving an appeal from the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).
According to Haruna, “The decision to extend was based on appeal by the Inter-Party Advisory Council, on behalf of political parties who were unable to upload the names and personal particulars of their candidates within the scheduled timeline.”
The commission did not disclose how many political parties requested additional time or the number of parties that had already completed the submission process before the deadline was extended.
Parties urged to use additional time
INEC said the extension was intended to ensure that all eligible political parties have the opportunity to comply with the requirements of the electoral timetable while remaining within the provisions of the law.
The commission urged political parties to use the additional three days to complete the online submission of their candidates’ details before the new deadline expires.
According to the statement, “The Commission enjoins political parties to take advantage of this window of opportunity and ensure that all necessary details are uploaded before the expiration of the new deadline.”
Under the Electoral Act and INEC’s timetable for the 2027 general election, political parties are required to submit the names and personal particulars of candidates within timelines set by the commission ahead of the commencement of campaigns and other electoral activities.
The latest extension gives political parties until midnight on July 14 to complete the submission process. INEC has indicated that the additional time is a one-off window granted following IPAC’s appeal and has urged parties to comply with the revised deadline to avoid disruptions to the electoral timetable.
