The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the list of candidates for the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections in the 2027 general elections. The new deadline is Tuesday, 11 August, moving the original closing date of Saturday, 8 August.
Extension Following Appeals by Political Parties
Mohammed Haruna, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, announced the extension in a statement in Abuja on Sunday. He explained that the adjustment came after political parties appealed for more time to complete the nomination upload process on the commission's dedicated portal.
“The extension follows growing appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the process,” Haruna said. The submission window was originally set to close on 8 August according to the revised timetable and schedule of activities for the elections.
PVC Replacement and Collection Updates
In a related development, INEC also informed voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged, or defaced Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) that the window to print downloadable copies of their cards expires by midnight on 9 August. This measure, according to Haruna, allows the commission to compile data on downloaded PVCs for final statistics ahead of the 15 August Osun governorship election.
The commission clarified that PVC collection in Osun State was initially held at the Registration Area (RA) level from 22 July to 28 July. Due to large crowds and difficulties at collection centres, INEC approved an extension of RA-level collection to 31 July, after which collection moved to Local Government Area (LGA) level, running from 1 August to 7 August.
Special Provision for Affected Areas
INEC also noted that replacement of downloadable PVCs has been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central local government areas, where cards were stolen by hoodlums who invaded the two centres. Haruna reiterated that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
Haruna reassured the people of Osun of INEC's readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible, and inclusive governorship election on 15 August. The extension and PVC measures aim to ensure smooth electoral processes for the upcoming election.
