The Independent National Electoral Commission says nine registered political parties have collected access codes to upload their candidates’ particulars for the Presidential and National Assembly elections ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The INEC National Commissioner in charge of Voter Education and Publicity, Mohammed Haruna, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja.

“As of close of work on Monday, nine political have collected the access code for the national elections,” he said.

According to Haruna, the nine political parties are Accord (A), Action Alliance (AA), African Democratic Congress (ADC), All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party (LP), National Democratic Congress (NDC), National Democratic Party (NDP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), and Social Democratic Party (SDP),” he said.

He explained that it was the responsibility of the political parties participating in an election to approach the commission to collect the code, rather than INEC taking it to individual party secretariats.

Haruna added that anyone seeking to collect the code on behalf of a political party must present an authorisation letter from the leadership of the party.

He noted that INEC has issued guidelines for candidate nomination, the national commissioner advised political parties to adhere strictly to the rules, adding that party officials had already been trained by the commission.

Haruna also cautioned political parties against waiting until the last minute before completing and submitting their nomination forms online.

“INEC has been generous by extending the deadline from the close of work to midnight of the deadline date. If any political party decides to wait until the deadline, INEC cannot be blamed for that,” Haruna said.

NAN reports that INEC fixed June 27 to July 11 for political parties to submit nomination forms for the presidential and National Assembly candidates through its designated candidate nomination portal.

NAN also reports that according to INEC timetable and schedules of activities for 2027 general election, the submission of nomination forms for the governorship and State Assembly nomination is scheduled from July 18 to August 8.

(NAN)

punch.ng

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed July 7 for the hearing of all pending applications and the substantive suit filed by the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party led by former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, seeking to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise the Kabir Turaki-led interim National Working Committee of the party.

Justice Salim Ibrahim fixed the date on Tuesday after the parties agreed to file and exchange all outstanding processes before the next adjourned date.

The judge directed all parties to file and serve their processes on or before July 6 and warned that no further delay would be entertained when the matter comes up for hearing.

The PUNCH reports that the court had, on June 19, ordered an accelerated hearing of the suit after counsel for the plaintiffs, Chief Gordy Uche (SAN), argued that the case was time-sensitive in view of INEC’s timetable for the 2027 general elections.

The plaintiffs, including Wabara, former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu, Prof Jerry Gana, Chief Olabode George and the PDP, are asking the court to direct INEC to recognise the Turaki-led interim NWC and update the party’s leadership records on its official website.

They also want the commission to accept all communications from the interim leadership, which they said were forwarded to INEC through letters dated May 4.

At Tuesday’s proceedings, Uche urged the court to hear all pending joinder applications alongside the substantive suit to save judicial time and enable his clients to comply with INEC’s electoral timetable.

He said, “The commission has reiterated that its July 11 deadline for the submission of names of candidates is sacrosanct.

“They said the submission started yesterday, and parties have been given the access code, and we also need the access code.”

Describing the request as “a passionate appeal,” Uche urged other counsel not to oppose the application.

Counsel for the PDP, Sunday Ameh (SAN), counsel for INEC, O.A. Adeyemi, Chief Fedinard Orbih (SAN), representing parties seeking to be joined, and Adedayo Adedeji (SAN), appearing for another set of applicants, raised no objection.

Justice Ibrahim thereafter adjourned the case until July 7 for the hearing of all pending applications and the substantive suit.

The PUNCH reports that the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1159/2026, was filed on June 4 by lawyers led by Chief Chris Uche (SAN).

The plaintiffs are seeking declarations that INEC is constitutionally bound to give effect to judgments of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, which they contend invalidated the PDP’s November 2025 national convention and upheld the suspension of key party officials.

In an affidavit supporting the suit, Aliyu alleged that National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu and three other party officials were suspended by the PDP NWC on November 1, 2025, for alleged gross misconduct, anti-party activities and insubordination.

He further claimed that subsequent decisions of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court affirmed the suspension of the affected officials and nullified the party’s November 15 and 16, 2025, national convention.

According to him, following those judgments, the PDP BoT constituted an interim NWC led by Turaki, pending the conduct of a fresh national convention, and formally notified INEC of the development through letters dated May 4 and May 15.

Aliyu alleged that despite receiving the correspondence, the electoral commission failed to update its records or recognise the interim leadership.

He described INEC’s refusal as “a grave affront to the rule of law and the supremacy of the Constitution,” urging the court to compel the commission to comply with what he described as subsisting appellate court judgments.

A faction of the party loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and led by Mohammed Abdulrahman, has been recognised by INEC following the court judgment that nullified the November 15 convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The faction subsequently took over the party’s national secretariat at Wadata Plaza in Abuja and conducted its primaries in the presence of INEC officials.

The Abdulrahman-led PDP has also presented certificates of return to its candidates, who have commenced the completion of their INEC forms for the upload of their details to the commission’s portal.

punch.ng

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

The Independent National Electoral Commission has restored the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) access to its candidate nomination portal, allowing the party to upload the names of its National Leader, Senator Seriake Dickson and presidential candidate, Peter Obi, despite the ongoing legal battle over the party’s status.

Dickson disclosed the development in a post on his X account on Tuesday.

He described it as a positive step after the party filed a notice of appeal and an application for stay of execution against last week’s judgment of the Federal High Court in Lokoja.

He said the appeal and accompanying applications had been served on the electoral commission with a covering letter urging it to act in accordance with the law.

According to him, the NDC remains a duly registered political party and has validly conducted its primaries under INEC’s supervision.

“Today, the NDC has filed an appeal against the ruling as well as a stay of execution/injunction, which has been served with a covering letter to the INEC chairman and his team to do what is right according to law and what is legally sensible.

“The Nigeria Democratic Congress has come to stay and remains a duly registered party in Nigeria which has participated in all the political processes so far.

“Nomination processes have already been concluded and, in the eyes of the law, candidates have already emerged from the party for all offices across the country in primaries observed, monitored and recorded by INEC.

“What is left is the administrative process of submitting the names to INEC, and we have been granted access to the portal to upload our qualified candidates,” he said.

Dickson disclosed that his name and that of the party’s presidential candidate had already been uploaded to the commission’s portal.

“My name and that of the presidential candidate have been uploaded to the INEC portal, while that of the vice presidential candidate will be done tomorrow upon completion of the deposition. The process is also ongoing for other candidates,” he stated.

The Senator urged party members not to panic, noting that there was still sufficient time to complete the nomination process within INEC’s timetable.

“In accordance with the INEC timetable, which we have religiously abided by, we have between now and the 11th of next month to upload all National Assembly candidates, while those of governors and State Houses of Assembly will end on the 17th of July.

“So there is enough time for all candidates’ names to be submitted to INEC and there is no reason for anyone to panic,” he added.

The former Bayelsa State governor also appealed to unsuccessful aspirants to support the party, saying reconciliation efforts had commenced.

“The reconciliation processes have started and we expect them to reach everyone. We assure them that all those who expressed interest will be carried along in the party’s campaigns, committees and structures because they constitute the grassroots strength and the backbone of our party,” he said.

Dickson thanked INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, for what he described as the commission’s professionalism and urged the judiciary to determine the appeal in accordance with the law.

“We thank INEC, led by Professor Joash Amupitan, for their professionalism so far, and we expect them to continue on this path.
“Having filed and served our appeal and the accompanying applications, the ball is now in the court of the judiciary, and we expect the judiciary to do what is right under the law,” he said.

The development comes days after the NDC filed an appeal challenging the Federal High Court judgment that sparked uncertainty over the party’s registration, insisting the judgment neither dissolved nor deregistered the party.

The opposition party has maintained that it remains legally recognised pending the determination of its appeal.

punch.ng

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN