INEC extends deadline for 2027 governorship, Assembly candidates’ submission

By Johnson Arua

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has extended by three days the deadline for political parties to submit the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.

The Commission, in a statement issued by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said the submission deadline, earlier fixed for Saturday, August 8, 2026, has now been moved to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.

According to INEC, the extension followed appeals from political parties seeking additional time to complete the upload of their candidates’ lists on the dedicated portal.

The Commission said the extension was approved to accommodate the concerns of political parties and ensure that the process was completed without unnecessary difficulties.

Meanwhile, INEC has announced that the window for voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, to print downloadable copies of their cards will close by midnight on Sunday, August 9, 2026.

The Commission explained that the deadline was necessary to enable it compile data on downloaded PVCs and produce final statistics on the total number of cards collected ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election in Osun State.

INEC recalled that PVC collection in Osun State began at the Registration Area level from July 22 to 28, 2026, but was extended to July 31 following complaints about large crowds and difficulties encountered by voters at collection centres.

It added that collection subsequently moved to the Local Government Area level and ran from August 1 to 7, 2026.

The electoral body also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas whose cards were reportedly carted away by hoodlums who invaded the two collection centres.

INEC, however, assured voters that the stolen PVCs could not be used to vote, urging affected voters to make use of the replacement downloadable cards provided by the Commission.

The electoral umpire reiterated its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election in Osun State on August 15, 2026.