INEC Extends Presidential, National Assembly Candidates Submission Deadline

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the names and personal details of their presidential and National Assembly candidates for the 2027 general elections.

The commission announced on Sunday that the new deadline is now midnight on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, instead of the earlier date of Saturday, July 11. The extension followed requests from political parties through the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), which sought more time to complete the upload of candidates’ information on the commission’s online portal.

INEC made the announcement in a statement issued by its National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna. The commission explained that the additional three days were approved to allow political parties that could not complete the submission process within the original timeframe to finish uploading the required documents and personal particulars of their candidates.

The electoral body said the decision was taken to give all registered political parties a fair opportunity to complete the nomination process while remaining within the provisions of the Electoral Act and the approved timetable for the 2027 elections. It added that the extension would help ensure wider participation in the electoral process without disrupting the election schedule.

INEC also urged political parties to make proper use of the extra time by completing the upload of all necessary information before the revised deadline expires. It warned that no party should wait until the last minute before submitting its candidates’ details through the nomination portal.

The extension comes after several political parties reportedly experienced technical and administrative difficulties that prevented them from meeting the initial deadline. The commission’s decision followed appeals from IPAC, which acted on behalf of the affected parties.

The development also comes shortly after the ruling All Progressives Congress announced that it had successfully uploaded the details of its 471 candidates for the presidential and National Assembly elections through INEC’s portal.