Nigeria’s political parties are accelerating preparations for the 2027 general elections as they work to meet the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s July 11 deadline for uploading the names and credentials of candidates onto the commission’s nomination portal.
While several major parties, including the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), say the process has been largely smooth, others have reported technical difficulties and unresolved internal issues that could complicate compliance before the deadline.
According to party officials who spoke to Vanguard, the APC said it had experienced no major challenges with the INEC portal and remained on schedule to complete the submission process. The PDP also described its exercise as progressing without technical or legal setbacks, while the ADC confirmed it had successfully uploaded its presidential and vice-presidential candidates and was moving ahead with National Assembly nominations.
The Labour Party acknowledged that it initially faced technical issues but said these had been resolved. Party spokesman Ken Asogwa explained that some submissions were temporarily rejected because of discrepancies in the order of candidates’ names compared with records already stored in INEC’s automated database.
Smaller political parties have encountered greater difficulties. The Because Of Our Tomorrow (BOOT) Party said it struggled to access and use the nomination portal after receiving its login credentials, although it expressed confidence that all candidates would be uploaded before the deadline.
Similarly, the Action Democratic Party (ADP) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) said they were making steady progress and expected to complete the exercise on time. The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), however, admitted it was still reviewing the progress of its submissions.
Beyond technical concerns, some parties are also working to resolve disputes arising from primary elections and finalise the selection of governorship running mates before completing their submissions.
The July 11 deadline marks a critical milestone in Nigeria’s preparations for the 2027 general elections, with political parties under increasing pressure to comply with INEC’s digital nomination process while resolving internal challenges that could affect their readiness for the polls.
