INEC Extends Deadline for State Election Nominations

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the names of their candidates for the 2027 governorship and State House of Assembly elections.

The new deadline is Tuesday, August 11, instead of the earlier date of Saturday, August 8.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, announced the extension in a statement issued in Abuja.

He said the decision followed requests from political parties for additional time to complete the nomination process and upload the required information to the commission’s dedicated portal.

Haruna explained that the extension was necessary to give parties more time to conclude the submission of their candidates in line with the electoral timetable.

INEC also reminded voters who applied to replace lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) that the deadline for printing downloadable copies of their replacement cards would expire at midnight on August 9.

The commission said the deadline would enable it to compile the number of downloaded PVCs and prepare final statistics on PVC collection ahead of the August 15 governorship election in Osun State.

Haruna recalled that PVC collection in Osun initially took place at registration area level from July 22 to July 28. Following complaints about large crowds and difficulties at some collection centres, the exercise was extended to July 31 before moving to the local government level from August 1 to August 7.

The commission also disclosed that voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas whose replacement PVCs were stolen during attacks on collection centres had been provided with an opportunity to download new copies.

INEC assured voters that the stolen PVCs could not be used to cast votes.

The commission reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election in Osun State on August 15.