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The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have confirmed the successful submission of their presidential, vice-presidential and National Assembly candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following the extension of the nomination deadline.
INEC announced on Sunday that political parties now have until midnight on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, to complete the submission of candidates’ names and personal particulars for the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections.
The commission explained that the extension followed a request by the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), which appealed on behalf of political parties unable to complete the online submission process before the original July 11 deadline.
In a statement signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, INEC said the decision was intended to ensure inclusiveness while remaining within the provisions of the law.
The electoral body urged political parties yet to complete the process to utilise the additional three-day window before the new deadline expires.
Earlier, APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, announced via his verified X account that the ruling party had successfully uploaded all its candidates to the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal.
He congratulated party members and candidates on achieving a complete submission of the presidential, vice-presidential, Senate and House of Representatives candidates, adding that the party’s attention would now shift to mobilisation and preparations for the 2027 general elections.
The APC confirmed that it uploaded 471 candidates, comprising its presidential and vice-presidential candidates, 109 senatorial candidates and 360 House of Representatives candidates.
Similarly, the PDP announced that it had completed the upload of its presidential, vice-presidential and National Assembly candidates.
PDP National Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, described the successful submission as another significant milestone for the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
Reacting to the extension, the APC criticised opposition parties that failed to meet the initial deadline, arguing that the development exposed weaknesses in their internal organisation and preparedness for governance.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the ruling party said the inability of some opposition parties to complete their nomination process despite having fewer candidates raised questions about their administrative competence.
The APC also described it as ironic that parties which had previously accused it of influencing INEC’s decisions later benefited from the commission’s decision to extend the deadline after missing the original submission date.
The party maintained that meeting the initial deadline demonstrated its organisational discipline, commitment to due process and readiness for the 2027 elections.
