Three registered political parties have failed to submit the names of their presidential and vice-presidential candidates before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) closed its nomination portal, potentially shutting them out of the 2027 presidential election unless any available legal remedies apply. The development comes after INEC extended the deadline by three days to give parties additional time to conclude their nomination processes.
The race towards Nigeria’s 2027 general election has entered a decisive phase after the Independent National Electoral Commission officially closed its online nomination portal for presidential and National Assembly candidates.
While major political parties beat the deadline, three parties failed to upload their presidential and vice-presidential candidates before the portal shut at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, raising fresh questions about their readiness for the country’s biggest electoral contest.
INEC had initially fixed an earlier submission date but later granted political parties an additional three days following appeals from stakeholders and the need to accommodate outstanding nomination processes.
The extension was widely seen as a final opportunity for parties grappling with internal disputes, incomplete primaries and documentation issues. Even with the additional time, however, not every party succeeded in meeting the deadline.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) successfully completed the upload of their presidential, vice-presidential and National Assembly candidates before the portal closed.
The closing hours also witnessed intense activity from several other parties racing against time to finalise documentation, while some opposition parties continued battling leadership disputes and competing claims over candidate nominations.
Political observers say the missed deadline reflects deeper organisational problems confronting some parties ahead of the election.
Over recent weeks, disputes over party leadership, parallel executives and competing nomination processes have delayed candidate submissions in several political organisations, creating uncertainty even after INEC repeatedly insisted that parties should adhere to the election timetable.
With the portal now closed, attention is expected to shift to INEC’s verification process and the publication of provisional candidate lists.
The electoral commission has consistently maintained that election timelines are designed to give sufficient time for scrutiny, substitution where legally permitted and other statutory processes before Nigerians head to the polls in 2027.
Although the identities of the affected parties are expected to become clearer as INEC publishes its official records, the missed deadline could significantly affect their participation in the presidential race. For many political observers, the episode highlights the importance of internal party organisation long before election day.