The Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to conduct their primary elections to allow parties more time to complete administrative and statutory processes.
OYSIEC extended the election time from July 27 to August 5, 2026, stating that the nine-day extension was approved after considering IPAC’s request for a one-week postponement, noting that the additional time would enable all registered political parties participating in the December 29, 2026, local government elections to conclude their primary elections and submit the names of their successful candidates in line with the electoral timetable.
In a statement issued yesterday, the party’s Chairman, Afees Adeniyi, said that the commission approved the extension after receiving a formal request from the current leadership of IPAC in Oyo State.
The request, signed by the council’s Secretary, Dairo Olayinka, sought additional time for political parties to complete the administrative and statutory requirements necessary for the successful conduct of their chairmanship and councillorship primaries.
According to the commission, IPAC argued that extending the deadline would give participating political parties sufficient time to finalise their internal structures, complete required documentation and organise their primaries in a manner that would promote a more credible, inclusive and transparent electoral process.
Adeniyi explained that the commission considered the request in the interest of ensuring that all registered political parties intending to participate in the December 29 local government elections were given a fair opportunity to comply with the electoral guidelines.
He noted that while the original deadline for conducting party primaries expired on Monday, July 27, the new window for the exercise will run from Tuesday, July 28, to Wednesday, August 5, 2026.
The OYSIEC chairman emphasised that the extension applies only to the conduct of party primaries, adding that every other activity contained in the commission’s revised election timetable and guidelines remains unchanged.
He therefore urged all affected political parties to take advantage of the additional period to conclude their primaries and forward the names of their successful chairmanship and councillorship candidates to the commission within the stipulated timeframe.
Adeniyi also commended political parties for their continued cooperation with the commission and appealed to them to strictly adhere to the electoral guidelines throughout the nomination process.
“The commission received a letter from the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) requesting an extension of the date scheduled for the conduct of the local government chairmanship and councillorship primary elections by political parties in Oyo State.
“The council requested a one-week extension. The commission met on the subject matter and graciously approved the request by extending the deadline by nine days,” he said.