2027 nominations: Fresh crisis rocks parties as INEC portal opens

The opening of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) candidate nomination portal for the 2027 general election has triggered fresh disputes within several political parties as rival factions struggle for control of candidate submissions before the deadline.

The disagreements, which surfaced after political parties began accessing the portal, have affected the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the All Progressives Congress (APC), and other parties in different states.

The PDP remains divided over its leadership, with the faction led by National Chairman Abdulrahman Mohammed and National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu confirming that it has received INEC’s access code and has already started uploading the names of candidates.

The party said it also obtained all the documents required by the electoral commission and is working to complete the process before the deadline.

However, the rival PDP faction headed by Tanimu Turaki insisted it had not received any access code from INEC. Members of the group expressed confidence that ongoing court cases over the party’s leadership would eventually be decided in their favour before the nomination process ends.

The faction also criticised the electoral commission, accusing it of failing to treat opposition parties fairly.
INEC maintained that it recognises only the leadership backed by the Supreme Court.

The commission explained that political parties began collecting their portal access codes on June 26 and confirmed that several parties had already done so. It added that it would continue to follow existing court judgments in dealing with party leadership issues.

The disagreement within the PDP followed the Supreme Court judgment delivered in April, which invalidated the party’s national convention held in Ibadan in 2025. Although the party’s Board of Trustees later reconstituted an interim leadership under Turaki, the commission has continued to recognise the faction aligned with Wike.

The struggle over candidate nominations has also spread to Lagos State, where two politicians, Adedeji Doherty and Adetokunbo Pearse, are laying claim to the PDP governorship ticket. Despite the dispute, party leaders expressed hope that their candidates would eventually appear on INEC’s final list. Some aspirants were also scheduled to meet party leader Bode George for clarification on the issue.

In the Lagos APC, the leadership insisted that the list of House of Representatives and State Assembly candidates released after the party primaries remains valid despite protests from some aspirants. Party officials explained that any change would only come from the national leadership after reviewing reports from the appeal committee.

In Edo State, APC officials confirmed that the names of successful candidates had already been uploaded to the INEC portal after the party’s appeal committee resolved petitions arising from the primaries. Party leaders said they expected no further disputes because complaints had already been addressed.

In Kaduna State, PDP aspirant Danjuma Sarki confirmed that he had obtained, completed and submitted his nomination forms for the Zonkwa State Constituency seat. He expressed confidence in the process and said he was ready to continue with the campaign.

The PDP chairman in Kogi State also confirmed receiving the portal access code, saying candidate details would begin to be uploaded after all required documents were verified.

Both the APC and PDP in Jigawa State announced that they had received INEC’s access codes and had started preparing the names of successful candidates for submission before the deadline.

In Benue State, some APC candidates confirmed receiving and submitting their nomination forms, while others, mainly those believed to be loyal to Governor Hyacinth Alia, said they were still waiting to receive theirs. Sources claimed that loyalists of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, had already completed the process.

Plateau APC candidate Yusuf Gagdi also received his nomination form and completed the required documentation after emerging as the party’s candidate for the Pankshin, Kanke and Kanam Federal Constituency.

In Kwara State, the PDP completed documentation for all its candidates after presenting certificates of return and nomination forms to House of Assembly candidates. The party urged its candidates to remain united and continue grassroots mobilisation ahead of the election.

Meanwhile, APC sources in Kwara disclosed that House of Assembly candidates were still waiting for the distribution of nomination forms, although governorship and National Assembly candidates had already received theirs.

Fresh protests also broke out in Ondo State as hundreds of APC women demonstrated against the list of candidates released by the party’s national secretariat. The protesters claimed the published list did not reflect the actual winners of the party primaries. The demonstration temporarily disrupted traffic in Akure as the women demanded that the votes cast during the primaries should be respected.

Party leaders and youth representatives in Ondo accused unnamed party officials of attempting to replace candidates who won the primaries with those who lost, warning that such actions could create deeper divisions within the party ahead of the 2027 elections.