Political parties contesting the 2027 general elections have been given additional time by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to complete the submission of their governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates.
INEC has moved the deadline for uploading the candidates’ names and required details from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The commission announced the extension in a statement issued on Sunday by Mohammed Haruna, Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee.
According to INEC, the decision followed requests from several political parties for more time to complete the nomination and upload process.
The extension gives parties an additional three days to finalise their submissions ahead of the next phase of the electoral process.
INEC Suspends PVC Collection in Osun
In a related development, INEC has announced the suspension of the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
However, voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced PVCs have been given until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable versions of their replacement cards.
INEC said the deadline would enable it to compile final figures on the number of PVCs collected ahead of the election.
The commission also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs have been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas, after hoodlums reportedly invaded the two collection centres and carted away some voters’ cards.
INEC stressed that the stolen physical PVCs cannot be used to cast votes during the election.
The commission explained that PVC collection in Osun initially began at the Registration Area level on July 22 and was expected to end on July 28.
Following complaints from voters over overcrowding and difficulties at some collection centres, the exercise was extended to July 31.
It was subsequently moved to the local government level, where collection continued from August 1 to August 7.
With the Osun governorship election just days away, INEC said it remains committed to delivering a free, fair, credible and inclusive election.
The latest extension of the candidate-upload deadline also gives political parties a final opportunity to ensure their governorship and State Assembly nominations are properly submitted before the new deadline.
Source: Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
