2027 Elections: INEC Extends Deadline for Governorship and State Assembly Candidate Submission
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit their lists of candidates for the upcoming 2027 Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.
Originally scheduled to close on Saturday, August 8, 2026, the submission window on the commission’s dedicated online portal has now been shifted to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
According to a statement released by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, the shift was prompted by intense pressure and appeals from various political parties.
The parties had requested additional time to successfully navigate and complete the uploading of their candidates’ details onto the electoral body’s dedicated portal.
Osun State Election: PVC Download Window Closes Ahead of August 15 Polls
In a concurrent update, the electoral umpire announced that the portal for voters to download and print replacements for lost, damaged, or defaced Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) officially closed at midnight on Sunday, August 9, 2026.
The commission explained that enforcing this rigid timeline is critical to compiling download logs and finalizing official voter statistics ahead of the highly anticipated Osun State Governorship Election slated for August 15, 2026.
Security Concerns and Stolen PVC Validity
Addressing security breaches, the Commission confirmed that targeted replacement options were swiftly provided to voters in the Odo-Otin and Ife Central LGAs.
Security reports indicated that hoodlums had previously invaded two localized collection centers and carted away voter cards.
However, the electoral body strongly reassured the public that the stolen physical PVCs have been completely deactivated on the backend systems and cannot be used to cast valid votes.
