The Independent National Electoral Commission’s portal access for the 2027 elections has sparked fresh power struggles within major political parties, as rival factions and state chapters dispute control of candidate uploads and nomination lists ahead of the deadline.
According to The PUNCH, ABNTV reports that the Nyesom Wike-backed faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has commenced the upload of its candidates for the 2027 general elections to the Independent National Electoral Commission portal after receiving INEC’s access code.
PDP National Organizing Secretary Umar Bature, in an exclusive interview on Monday, confirmed that the party had received all necessary documents from INEC for the submission of its candidates.
However, a member of the Tanimu Turaki (SAN)-led PDP Interim National Working Committee, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the matter, said the faction had yet to receive the INEC access code. He expressed confidence that the courts would resolve the party’s leadership dispute in its favor before the submission deadline.
Although he declined to comment directly on the access code, the Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee’s Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, described the commission under Professor Joash Amupitan as the most contentious INEC leadership ahead of an election.
The Supreme Court, in a split 3–2 judgment delivered on April 30, invalidated the PDP National Convention in Ibadan on November 15 and 16, 2025, which produced the Turaki leadership and was supported by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.
Following the ruling, the party’s Board of Trustees, led by Adolphus Wabara, reconstituted Turaki and others as an interim national working committee.
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Since then, the interim leadership has operated alongside the INEC-recognized faction aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Responding to one of our correspondents’ inquiry, INEC said several political parties had begun collecting their access codes ahead of upcoming electoral activities, while reaffirming that it recognizes only the leadership of the PDP endorsed by the court.
Speaking on the development, INEC National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna, on Monday, told The PUNCH that political parties have been collecting their nomination codes since June 26.
“Quite a number of political parties since June 26 have collected their codes already. I know the SDP, for instance, has collected. As for NDC, I will have to confirm; I am not sure,” he said.
Addressing questions on the PDP, Haruna said the commission only recognizes the faction upheld by the court.
“I don’t know about any faction in the PDP. It is the one the court said we should recognize that we recognize. The Supreme Court’s position is what we follow,” he said.
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