As the extended deadline given by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for political parties to upload candidates for the 2027 general election expires today, confusion has continued to trail the opposition over unresolved leadership disputes, parallel nominations and competing claims to party leadership.
The uncertainty deepened yesterday after the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, affirmed the Federal High Court’s ruling restraining INEC from receiving names or correspondence from the David Mark-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Stakeholders warned that the lingering crises within opposition parties, coupled with conflicting judicial pronouncements on the status of some participating parties, could undermine the credibility of next year’s general election.
INEC last Friday extended the deadline for the upload of nominated candidates from the earlier date of July 11 to July 14, 2026, stressing that political parties have until midnight today (Tuesday, July 14) to complete the process.
In line with the INEC timetable, political parties were expected to have uploaded the names and personal details of their presidential, Senate and House of Representatives candidates by July 11, 2026. However, the commission explained that the decision to grant a grace period followed appeals from political parties, which reported technical hitches during the process.
Announcing the extension, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said the commission acted on representations made by the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).
