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Political parties participating in the 2027 general election will begin submitting the names and particulars of their governorship and state House of Assembly candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from Saturday, July 18, as preparations for the next phase of the electoral process gather momentum.
According to the commission's timetable and schedule of activities, the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal will open at 9 a.m. on Saturday for authorised officials of political parties to upload the names and credentials of their candidates for the state elections. The portal will remain accessible until 6 p.m. on August 8.
The commencement of the upload follows the successful completion of the nomination process for the presidential and National Assembly elections, which ended after INEC granted political parties an extension following appeals by the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).
Despite many parties announcing that they had successfully concluded their governorship primaries and were ready for the submission process, most have yet to publicly unveil the identities of their governorship and state Assembly candidates.
As part of its electoral timetable, INEC is also expected to publish the names and personal particulars of all candidates contesting the presidential and National Assembly elections on August 1. The publication is in compliance with Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act, which requires the commission to display candidates' details within 21 days of receiving their nominations.
The Electoral Act further provides that every candidate must submit an affidavit sworn before a Federal High Court, a State High Court or the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, affirming that all constitutional requirements for contesting the election have been met.
The law also empowers INEC to display the submitted particulars to enable members of the public raise objections or seek clarification where necessary.
In addition, Nigerians are entitled to obtain certified true copies of nomination forms, affidavits and other documents submitted by candidates upon payment of the prescribed fee, as provided under Section 29(4) of the Electoral Act.
Although the timetable does not specifically allocate dates for public objections, political parties are expected to resolve disputes arising from nominations during the display period. Parties also have until August 22 to substitute candidates in accordance with the provisions of Section 31 of the Electoral Act, particularly where a candidate voluntarily withdraws from the race.
A senior source within INEC disclosed that the commission has commenced processing the submissions already received for the national elections ahead of the publication of candidates' particulars while simultaneously preparing for the governorship and state Assembly nomination exercise.
Meanwhile, several political parties have continued to defend their compliance with INEC's nomination requirements following reports suggesting that some failed to upload their candidates before the July 14 deadline for the national elections.
The Action Democratic Party (ADP) said it successfully uploaded its candidates without encountering technical challenges, while the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) confirmed that it was concluding the compilation and submission of its candidates' information.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also dismissed reports that it failed to submit its candidates, insisting that it uploaded the names and personal particulars of its presidential and National Assembly candidates and received a temporary acknowledgement from the electoral commission.
Similarly, the Labour Party (LP) rejected claims that it missed the deadline, maintaining that it successfully uploaded the names of its presidential, vice-presidential and National Assembly candidates several days before the portal closed.
The party said the submission process was completed in full compliance with INEC's guidelines and described contrary reports as false and misleading.
With the governorship and state Assembly nomination portal set to open, attention is now shifting to state-level contests as political parties intensify preparations for another critical phase of Nigeria's 2027 electoral process.
