INEC extends deadline for state election nominations
Adebayo Gbeja
Editor • Aug 10, 2026 • 2 min read
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit candidates for the 2027 governorship and State House of Assembly elections to Aug. 11.
The commission initially fixed Aug. 8 as the deadline for the submission and upload of nominations on its dedicated online portal.
Mr Mohammed Haruna, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, announced the extension in a statement issued in Abuja.
According to Haruna, the decision followed appeals from political parties seeking additional time to complete the nomination process.
“The submission window which, according to the revised timetable and schedule of activities for the general elections, originally scheduled to close on Saturday, Aug. 8, has been extended to Tuesday, Aug. 11,” he said.
Meanwhile, INEC has reminded voters who applied for the replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) that the deadline for printing downloadable copies of the cards expires at midnight on Aug. 9.
Haruna said the deadline was necessary to enable the commission to compile data on downloaded PVCs and obtain final statistics on PVC collection ahead of the Aug. 15 governorship election in Osun.
He said PVC collection in Osun was initially conducted at the Registration Area level from July 22 to July 28.
Following complaints about large crowds and difficulties at collection centres, the commission extended the exercise to July 31 before moving it to the Local Government Area level from Aug. 1 to Aug. 7.
Haruna also disclosed that INEC had made replacement downloadable PVCs 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.
He stressed that the stolen PVCs could not be used to vote.
The national commissioner reassured residents of Osun that INEC remained fully prepared to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on Aug. 15.
