2027 Elections: INEC Gives Parties 3-Day Extension to Submit Gov, Assembly Candidates

2027 Elections: INEC Gives Parties 3-Day Extension to Submit Gov, Assembly Candidates

 

The race for the 2027 general elections has entered a fresh phase as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) extended the deadline for political parties to submit the names of their governorship and State House of Assembly candidates by three days.

The commission moved the deadline from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026, following appeals by political parties for more time to complete the nomination and upload process.

INEC disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday by the Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.

According to the commission, the extension was necessary to accommodate parties that were yet to conclude the submission of their candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.

“The submission window, which, according to the revised timetable and schedule of activities for the general election, was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, 8th August, 2026, has been extended to Tuesday, 11th August, 2026,” the statement said.

“The extension follows growing appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the process.”

Meanwhile, INEC has suspended the collection of Permanent Voter Cards in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

Haruna said voters who had applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced PVCs had until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.

He explained that the deadline would enable the commission to compile data on downloaded PVCs and establish the final statistics of collected cards ahead of the election.

“This is to allow the commission to compile the data of downloaded PVCs for final statistics of total PVCs collected ahead of the August 15th Osun governorship election,” he said.

The commission also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to affected voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas.

The affected cards were reportedly carted away by hoodlums who invaded the two PVC collection centres.

INEC, however, assured voters that the stolen cards could not be used to cast ballots.

“The commission also wishes to state that replacement downloadable PVCs have been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central local government areas whose cards were carted away by hoodlums who invaded the two centres. The commission reiterates that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote,” it said.

Haruna recalled that PVC collection in Osun commenced at the Registration Area level on July 22 and was initially scheduled to end on July 28.

The exercise was subsequently extended to July 31 following complaints over large crowds and difficulties encountered by voters at collection centres.

It was later moved to the local government level, where the exercise ran from August 1 to 7.

INEC reiterated its commitment to conducting a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election in Osun State.