The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the candidate submission deadline for political parties to submit candidate lists for the 2027 governorship and state House of Assembly elections. The portal deadline has been shifted from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The candidate submission deadline extension was confirmed in a statement signed on Saturday by Mohammed Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee.
According to the commission, the decision followed requests from political parties for additional time to finalize their nominations and complete submissions through the dedicated online portal.
The commission said, “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.”
In a related development, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced that the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in Osun State will be suspended ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
According to the commission, voters who applied for replacements due to lost, damaged, or defaced cards have until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.
INEC clarified that the deadline is necessary to allow the commission to reconcile data on downloaded PVCs and establish final figures on the total number of collected cards prior to election day.
According to INEC, PVC collection in Osun started at the Registration Area level from July 22 to July 28, 2026, but it was extended to July 31 because to voter complaints about big crowds and challenges at collection centers.
After that, the exercise was conducted at the local government level and took place from August 1 to August 7. It also revealed that after cards were stolen during attacks on the two collecting centers, voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas were given access to new downloaded PVCs.
Backstory…
The extension comes as political parties continue preparations for the 2027 general elections, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) working to complete the nomination and candidate submission process ahead of the polls.
The commission had earlier opened the window for political parties to submit the details and credentials of their candidates after parties conducted their primaries and selected those who will represent them in the elections.
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