Political parties in the country now have a 91 day deadline, until May 30 to conduct and finalise primaries that will produce candidates following the release of a revised timetable for the 2027 elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Recall that on Thursday, INEC published the updated schedule for the general elections in 2027.
The gubernatorial and state assembly elections will now be held on February 6 and the presidential and national parliament elections on January 16, respectively, under the new setup.
The commission authorised a revised timeline and program of activities in response to amendments in the election law, according to a statement released on Thursday by Malam Mohammed Haruna, the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee.
The conduct of party primaries, including the settlement of disputes resulting from primaries, will begin on April 23, 2026, and conclude on May 30, 2026, according to INEC’s updated schedule.
The Electoral Act of 2026 mandates that political parties submit their digital membership register to INEC at least 21 days prior to any primary, congress, or convention; failure to do so will disqualify them from fielding candidates.
Opposition races against time, kicks against timetable
Ini Ememobong, the Peoples Democratic Party’s factional National Publicity Secretary, told Saturday PUNCH that the party was looking over the schedule in order to figure out how to make the requirements.
Speaking to news men, Ini Ememobong, the Peoples Democratic Party’s factional National Publicity Secretary, stated that the party was examining the schedule in order to determine how to fulfil the requirements.
“There is no doubt that INEC has put opposition parties under unnecessary pressure with the new timetable and this will in turn give the APC undue advantage.
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“We are studying the timetable to ensure that we do everything within our power to meet up with all the activities ahead of the deadline,” Ememobong said.
But the National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, Bolaji Abdullahi accused INEC of setting boobytraps for the opposition to aid President Bola Tinubu’s plot to be returned unopposed in 2027.
Abdullahi said with the revised timetable, opposition parties might fail to meet up with INEC deadlines and might be unable to produce candidates for the election.
“They (INEC) just want to coronate Asiwaju (Tinubu); it is as simple as that. We have reviewed the new INEC timetable and we know that it is designed to coronate Asiwaju.
“The new timetable is part of the self-perpetuation plan because we know that there is no way the opposition political parties can meet up with any of these deadlines.
“We are expected to complete and produce a digital membership registrar by the end of March. We are to conduct our congresses between March and April. By the end of April, we must have our candidates, but how do we achieve all that? And these candidates must be produced through direct primaries which means that we must organise elections and in-between we must do our congresses, how does this make sense? How is that possible?
“What INEC has done with this timetable and these deadlines is to create a situation that will make it impossible for the opposition parties to contest in the election in 2027 and it is unacceptable,” Abdullahi said.
Additionally, he stated that the requirement for political parties to submit a comprehensive digital membership register by April 2 ahead of primaries scheduled between 23 April and 30 May 2026 creates a near impossible hurdle that could exclude other parties from fielding candidates.
“The ADC has joined other opposition political parties to reject the corrupted Electoral Act 2026. This INEC timetable, based on the said law, therefore stands equally rejected for the same reason that, put together, they appear designed to serve President Tinubu’s automatic self-succession project,” Abdullahi added.
The New Nigeria Peoples Party responded as well, complaining that opposition parties were now at a disadvantage due to the revised schedule.
Dipo Johnson, the National Publicity Secretary of the NNPP, told Saturday PUNCH that Tinubu and INEC are trying to prevent the opposition parties from having enough time to prepare for the poll.
“The opposition is at great disadvantage with the new INEC timetable and deadlines. It has put the opposition in a disadvantaged position.
“The APC knows very well that they only have one candidate for the presidential position. That is why they are more than eager to do this, hoping that it will negatively affect the preparedness of the smaller parties or the opposition parties.
“Illegally, I believe they have removed indirect primaries; this is an overreach. It is an overreach for them to put their hands in the parties and say you have to do it this way knowing fully well that it might be difficult for parties to reach consensus and it will be too costly for a majority of parties to have direct primaries everywhere in the country at the same time.
“This is an obvious further attempt to disrupt the preparedness of the opposition. No one is fooled by what they have done. They can continue to say all sorts of things but we are rejecting the new timetable,” Johnson said.
Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, a former presidential contender, also objected to the revised schedule, calling it an abuse of INEC’s authority.
He asserts that aside from making sure that the statutory requirements for candidate submission are met, the electoral board lacks the constitutional power to choose when political parties should hold their primary.
“INEC is not a headmaster that can impose what it wants on political parties. As long as parties comply with the Electoral Act regarding submission timelines, they have the right to determine when to hold their primaries.
“This shows that Amupitan cannot be trusted. It’s either he resigns or Nigerians will embark on mass action to force him out. He should not be allowed to stay a day longer in that office,” he said.
Hashim argued that the decision to move party primaries to an earlier date was a calculated attempt to weaken opposition political parties currently grappling with internal disputes and court cases.
Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, a former presidential contender, also objected to the revised schedule, calling it an abuse of INEC’s authority.
He asserts that aside from making sure that the statutory requirements for candidate submission are met, the electoral board lacks the constitutional power to choose when political parties should hold their primary.
Seek legal redress or boycott polls – APC
Ajibola Basiru, the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, has dismissed the opposition’s concerns to the 2027 election schedule, calling them politically driven and misguided.
In response to requests for a review of the calendar, Basiru told Saturday PUNCH on Friday that the schedule was released strictly in accordance with the current Electoral Act and that opposition leaders’ complaint was unwarranted.
He claims that the opposition political parties response shows a lack of readiness for the general elections in 2027.
“Their lamentation only shows their lack of preparedness and tardiness. So, they want to set a timetable for themselves for the election they want to participate in?” Basiru queried.
“If they feel so strongly that anything untoward has occurred, they could either challenge the timetable in a law court or politically decide to boycott the elections,” he added.
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