By Philomina Brando
The Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed June 26, 2026, for the issuance of access codes to political parties to enable them upload candidates’ details on its nomination portal ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC also set July 11, 2026, as the deadline for the submission of candidates’ particulars, warning that late entries would not be entertained.
The Chairman of the commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja during the Second Quarterly Consultative Meeting with leaders of registered political parties.
Amupitan said the development followed the conclusion of party primaries on May 30, noting that parties would gain access to the portal from June 27.
He said, “On Friday, June 26, 2026, the commission will issue official access codes to all political parties for the purpose of accessing the Candidate Nomination Portal.
“These access codes will enable designated national officers of political parties to upload the names, personal particulars and other required information relating to nominated candidates.”
He urged political parties to ensure their ICT personnel were adequately prepared, stressing that the portal would close automatically at the expiration of the deadline.
“The portal is fully automated and will close automatically at the expiration of the prescribed period,” he added.
Amid the countdown to the deadline, political parties have intensified efforts to resolve post-primary disputes, finalise candidate lists and conclude consultations on running mates.
The commission, however, raised concerns over unresolved internal crises within parties and ongoing court cases challenging aspects of its electoral timetable.
Amupitan described such disputes as distractions capable of affecting preparations for the 2027 elections and urged stakeholders to resolve them promptly.
“The success of the 2027 general election will depend not only on the preparedness of the commission but also on the commitment of political parties to uphold democratic principles,” he said.
He also reiterated INEC’s independence, assuring Nigerians that the commission would continue to act in line with constitutional provisions.
Meanwhile, several political parties have expressed readiness to comply with INEC’s guidelines.
The National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the party was resolving appeals arising from its primaries before submitting candidates’ names.
“The ADC is currently dealing with the issues arising from appeals by those who felt aggrieved at the primaries. We will do the needful once this process is over,” he said.
Similarly, the Young Progressives Party said it would begin uploading candidates’ details immediately the portal opens.
“We will commence uploading the names of our candidates as soon as the INEC portal is open,” the party’s spokesman, Wale Egbeola-Martins, stated.
The All Progressives Grand Alliance also confirmed readiness, with its spokesman, Ejimofor Opara, saying, “We will upload when the portal is open.”
The Social Democratic Party disclosed it was compiling necessary documentation for submission.
“The SDP is currently working on all the relevant documents in relation to the uploading of all our candidates,” its spokesman, Rufus Aiyenigba, said.
The Labour Party also expressed confidence in meeting the deadline, noting that its National Executive Committee would soon ratify its nomination list.
“It is already ongoing. We are sure we will beat the deadline,” the party’s spokesman, Ken Asogwa, said.
Despite the progress, consultations over vice-presidential candidates remain ongoing in some parties, including the LP and SDP.
Meanwhile, INEC disclosed it had filed appeals against two Federal High Court rulings that questioned parts of its timetable.
The judgments, delivered on May 20 and May 26, 2026, challenged aspects of the commission’s schedule, particularly timelines relating to candidate nomination and substitution.
Amupitan warned that altering components of the timetable could disrupt the entire electoral process.
“An election timetable, without a date for submission of parties’ membership register, timeframe for primaries, etc., is inchoate,” he said.
He explained that the timetable was a coordinated framework covering critical activities such as monitoring primaries, printing ballot papers, training personnel and deploying election materials.
According to him, these processes are interdependent and must be harmonised to ensure credible elections.
The INEC boss, however, assured Nigerians that the legal challenges would not derail preparations for the 2027 polls.