Political parties now have 72 hours to meet the new 2027 election deadline after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) extended the period for submitting presidential and National Assembly candidates until July 14 — FirstNigerian.com reports.
INEC announced the extension in a statement issued on Sunday by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, its National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee.
According to the commission, the extension followed an appeal by the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) on behalf of political parties that were unable to complete the online submission of candidate details before the original July 11 deadline.
The extension applies to nominations for the presidential election as well as Senate and House of Representatives seats.
2027 Election Deadline: What Political Parties Must Do
Political parties have until midnight on July 14 to upload the names of their nominated candidates, personal particulars and other required documents through INEC’s nomination portal. The nomination window opened on June 27 and was originally scheduled to close on July 11 before the commission granted a three-day extension.
INEC said the additional three days would allow affected parties to complete the submission process within the legal timetable for the election.
The commission urged all parties that are yet to complete their submissions to use the extension to finalise the process before midnight on July 14.
What Happens After the Deadline
After the submission window closes, INEC will proceed with the next stages of the election timetable based on the names and documents submitted by political parties within the approved period.
The commission did not indicate that it would grant any further extension beyond the new deadline.
The latest announcement follows an appeal by IPAC after several political parties were unable to complete uploading candidate details before the initial closing time on July 11.
INEC said the decision to extend the deadline reflects its commitment to allowing political parties to complete the nomination process while operating within the provisions of the law.
