3 Political Parties Fail to Submit Presidential Candidates as INEC Shuts Nomination Portal

The Independent National Electoral Commission has officially closed the online portal for the submission of nomination forms by political parties for the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections, with three political parties failing to submit any presidential candidates before the deadline.

According to the electoral timetable released by INEC, the submission of nomination forms via the commission’s online portal for national elections opened on July 14 and closed on July 28.

The deadline, which was part of the revised schedule following the enactment of the Electoral Act, 2026, passed without the affected parties meeting the requirement.

The commission had earlier adjusted the election calendar, moving the presidential and National Assembly elections from February 20 to January 16, 2027, with governorship and state assembly elections rescheduled for February 6, 2027.

Party primaries, including the resolution of disputes arising from them, were conducted between April 23 and May 30, 2026, paving the way for the nomination submission window.

While the ruling All Progressives Congress successfully submitted President Bola Tinubu as its presidential candidate after he secured over 10.9 million votes in the party’s nationwide direct primary, defeating his sole challenger Stanley Osifo, other parties completed their submissions within the stipulated timeframe.

However, three political parties failed to meet the deadline, effectively disqualifying them from fielding presidential candidates in the upcoming election.

President Tinubu, who secured the APC presidential ticket, has pledged to continue economic reforms and promote national development, focusing on economic expansion, industrialization, energy security, infrastructure development, and food security.

His administration has introduced a series of economic measures including the removal of fuel subsidies and exchange rate reforms aimed at improving macroeconomic stability and boosting investor confidence.

With the portal now shut, the affected parties have no recourse to submit nominations, as INEC had clearly communicated the timeline for submissions.

Public campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections are set to begin on August 19, 2026, and end on January 15, 2027, a day before the election.

Campaigns for governorship and state houses of assembly elections will start on September 2, 2026, and conclude on February 5, 2027.