INEC Opens 2027 Nomination Process, Nine Parties Secure Access Codes

Preparations for the 2027 general elections have gathered momentum, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirming that nine registered political parties have already secured the access credentials required to submit the details of their presidential and National Assembly candidates.

Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday, INEC National Commissioner for Voter Education and Publicity, Mohammed Haruna, said the parties obtained the access codes through the commission’s candidate nomination process.

The parties are Accord, Action Alliance, African Democratic Congress, All Progressives Congress, Labour Party, National Democratic Congress, National Democratic Party, Peoples Redemption Party and the Social Democratic Party.

Haruna explained that political parties are expected to initiate the process themselves by applying for the access codes, stressing that the commission does not distribute the credentials to party secretariats.

He added that only representatives carrying letters of authorisation from their party leadership are permitted to collect the codes.

The national commissioner said INEC had already sensitised and trained political parties on the nomination procedure and urged them to follow the commission’s guidelines throughout the exercise.

He also appealed to parties not to postpone submissions until the deadline, warning that delays could create avoidable difficulties.

“INEC has been generous by extending the deadline from the close of work to midnight of the deadline date. If any political party decides to wait until the deadline, INEC cannot be blamed for that,” Haruna said.

Under the commission’s election timetable, political parties have from June 27 to July 11 to upload the particulars of their presidential and National Assembly candidates through INEC’s online nomination portal.

The schedule further provides that nominations for governorship and State House of Assembly candidates will take place between July 18 and August 8 as preparations for the 2027 elections continue.