The Independent National Electoral Commission has extended the deadline for political parties to submit their lists of candidates for the 2027 governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.
The commission moved the deadline from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, giving political parties three additional days to complete the nomination process.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, announced the extension in a statement issued in Abuja.
Extension follows appeals from parties
Haruna said the decision to extend the deadline followed appeals from political parties for additional time to complete the upload of their candidates’ nominations on INEC’s dedicated portal.
He explained that the original deadline was contained in the commission’s revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections.
According to him, the extension was approved in response to the growing requests from political parties.
PVC download window closes Sunday
INEC also reminded voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards that the deadline for printing downloadable copies of their PVCs would expire at midnight on Sunday, August 9.
Haruna said the deadline was necessary to enable the commission to compile data on downloaded PVCs and prepare final statistics on PVC collection ahead of the August 15 Osun State governorship election.
INEC extends Osun PVC collection
The commission had earlier conducted PVC collection at the Registration Area level in Osun State from July 22 to July 28.
However, following complaints about large crowds and difficulties encountered by voters at collection centres, INEC extended the exercise to July 31.
Collection subsequently moved to the local government level and continued from August 1 to August 7.
Stolen PVCs cannot be used to vote
Haruna also disclosed that downloadable PVC replacements had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas.
The development followed the theft of PVCs after hoodlums invaded the collection centres in the two local government areas.
He stressed that the stolen cards could not be used to vote.
INEC assures Osun voters of credible election
The electoral commission reassured residents of Osun State that it remained prepared to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on August 15.
The election is expected to attract significant attention as political parties and their candidates intensify their campaigns ahead of the poll.