By Omoyeni Ojeifo
INEC has extended the candidate submission deadline for the February 2027 Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections by three days.
The new deadline to upload candidate lists to the INEC portal is now Tuesday, August 11, 2026, pushed back from the original August 8 cutoff.
Mohammed Kudu Haruna, INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee Chairman, confirmed the extension in a statement on Sunday obtained by Persecondnews.
According to the commission, the extension affects the submission window provided under INEC’s revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the February 2027 General Election, which was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, August 8.
The development gives parties additional room to complete their nominations and meet the commission’s requirements for the next stage of the electoral process.
“The extension follows growing appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the process,” INEC stated.
The Commission also announced a separate deadline affecting Osun voters who applied to replace lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards, as it prepares final figures before the August 15 governorship election.
“The window to print downloadable copies of their cards will expire by midnight of Sunday 9th August, 2026.”
The commission emphasized that the reason is to allow the Commission compile the data of downloaded PVCs for final statistics of total PVCs collected ahead of the August 15th Osun Governorship Election.”
Persecondnews recalls that PVC collection in Osun State commenced at Registration Area level from July 22 to 28, 2026, before the Commission extended the exercise to July 31 following complaints of large crowds and difficulties encountered by voters at collection centres.
Collection subsequently moved to Local Government Area level from August 1 to 7, 2026, ahead of the August 15 Osun Governorship Election.
INEC further disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs have been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas whose cards were carted away by hoodlums who invaded the two centres.
The Commission said the stolen cards cannot be used to vote, reassuring affected voters while clarifying the status of the cards taken during the invasions.
INEC reassured the people of Osun State of its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on August 15, 2026.