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) Candidate Nomination Portal following the electoral body’s decision to extend the submission deadline to July 14, 2026.
The extension came after several political parties appealed for additional time to complete the nomination process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
However, the APC criticised opposition parties that failed to meet the initial July 11 deadline, describing the delay as evidence of poor organisation and a lack of preparedness for the elections.
INEC announced the three-day extension in a statement issued on Sunday and signed by its National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna.
According to the commission, the decision followed a formal request by the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), which sought more time on behalf of political parties that had not concluded the upload of their candidates’ details.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission has approved the extension of the deadline for submission of lists of candidates for the 2027 Presidential and National Assembly Elections by political parties,” the statement read.
It further stated, “The deadline for submission in the Revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 General Election, being Saturday 11th July 2026, has been extended to midnight on Tuesday 14th July 2026.”
INEC explained that the extension was intended to ensure broader participation by political parties while remaining within the legal framework governing the electoral process.
The commission urged all parties yet to complete the exercise to utilise the additional period before the new deadline expires.
Meanwhile, APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, announced that the ruling party had completed the upload of all its candidates.
Posting on his verified X account, Yilwatda congratulated party members on the successful completion of the exercise.
“I congratulate our candidates, leaders, and members of APC on the successful 100% upload of our Presidential, Vice Presidential, Senate, and House of Representatives candidates on the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal.
“With this milestone achieved, our focus now shifts to mobilisation and preparations for a successful campaign and decisive victory at the polls,” he stated.
The APC confirmed that it uploaded a total of 471 candidates, comprising its presidential and vice-presidential candidates, 109 senatorial candidates and 360 candidates for the House of Representatives.
The Peoples Democratic Party also confirmed that it had successfully uploaded the details of its presidential ticket and National Assembly candidates.
PDP National Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, described the completion of the process as another significant achievement for the opposition party.
“I am pleased to inform all PDP members and Nigerians that our great party, under my leadership, has successfully uploaded the names of our presidential candidate, his running mate, and our National Assembly candidates onto the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal,” Mohammed said.
Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, also publicly expressed support for the PDP’s successful completion of the nomination process.
Reacting to INEC’s decision to extend the deadline, the APC criticised opposition parties for requiring additional time despite having fewer candidates to process.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the ruling party argued that the situation exposed the organisational weaknesses of its rivals.
“While INEC acted within its statutory powers and administrative discretion in extending the deadline for opposition parties to upload names of their candidates, it is noteworthy that the extension was necessitated by the stark failure of opposition parties to manage their internal processes to comply with INEC’s submission deadline despite having fewer candidates to manage compared to the APC.
“This development provides yet another clear indication of the opposition’s chronic inherent weakness and raises legitimate questions about their operational capacity.
“Political parties that cannot efficiently conclude their own internal nomination processes cannot possibly be trusted by Nigerians to possess the competence, discipline, or readiness to govern our great nation or its subnational governments.”
Morka also accused opposition parties of hypocrisy, noting that some of them had previously alleged that the APC controlled INEC’s decisions.
“It is starkly ironical that the same opposition parties have repeatedly peddled false, malicious and unfounded tales that the APC controls and dictates INEC’s decisions.
“Yet, as they failed to meet the submission deadline, they shamelessly turned to the same INEC for respite, and were granted an extension.
“And the same APC that would have been the obvious beneficiary if INEC had stood firm on its original deadline kept its distance, having met the deadline and completed its submission.
“Again, this underscores the opposition’s hypocrisy and true character as peddlers of fake news and merchants of blackmail.”
The APC maintained that completing the upload ahead of schedule demonstrated its commitment to due process and reflected its internal discipline and organisational strength.
The party urged its members and supporters nationwide to remain united and focused as preparations continue for the 2027 election campaign.
