Nigeria’s two biggest political parties—the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)—have confirmed the successful upload of their presidential, vice-presidential and National Assembly candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nomination portal, even as the electoral body granted other parties an additional three days to complete their submissions.
As political parties race to finalise preparations for the 2027 general election, the APC and PDP have emerged among the first major parties to complete the submission of their candidates’ details to INEC.
The development comes as the electoral commission extended the deadline for candidate nominations after receiving appeals from parties that encountered technical and procedural challenges during the upload process.
Officials of both the APC and PDP confirmed that the names and particulars of their presidential, vice-presidential and National Assembly candidates had been successfully uploaded through INEC’s Candidate Nomination Portal before the close of the original deadline.
Meanwhile, INEC announced a three-day extension, moving the deadline from Saturday, July 11 to midnight on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.
According to the commission, the decision followed a request by the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), which cited challenges faced by several political parties during the nomination process.
The extension is expected to benefit parties that were still resolving internal disputes, technical issues or nomination procedures before the original deadline.
While the APC and PDP completed their submissions on schedule, several other parties—including factions of opposition parties—have continued efforts to finalise and upload their candidates before the revised deadline.
The completion of candidate uploads by the APC and PDP marks a significant milestone in the countdown to the 2027 elections, allowing both parties to shift attention toward campaign planning and nationwide mobilisation.
For parties yet to conclude the process, the additional three-day window provides a final opportunity to comply with INEC’s timetable and avoid the risk of exclusion from key contests.
With the revised deadline fast approaching, attention is now turning to whether the remaining political parties can resolve outstanding nomination issues before INEC closes its portal. The coming days are expected to shape the final lineup of candidates who will contest Nigeria’s 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections.