Di Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, don shift di date for release of access code to political parties for dem to upload names of dia nominated candidates for 2027 general election. Dis one come as All Progressives Congress, APC, distance itself from a purported list wey dey circulate online wey claim to contain names of successful candidates from dia recent primary elections.
INEC originally plan to release di access code on Friday, June 26, but sources from di commission and political parties say di release bin shift to Monday, today, to ensure smooth uploading of di access code. Di commission don earlier release di necessary nomination forms to di political parties.
According to an INEC source, wetin remain now na for di political parties to upload all di various forms to di access code when dem release am to dem. Di political parties don get di forms wey dem go fill, but di access code for where dem go upload am no don release until Monday, one source disclose yesterday.
E bin gather say di Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, present certificates of return to di nominated candidates on Wednesday and issue dem di necessary INEC forms. For di presentation of di certificates of return, di PDP, wey Abdulrahman Mohammed lead, ratify di outcomes of all primaries for election of presidential, gubernatorial, senatorial, House of Representatives and Houses of Assembly candidates for 2027 general election.
E bin gather say, for di same time, each candidate also receive di INEC Nomination Forms with directive to return di completed nomination forms within 72 hours to enable di party to start uploading dem to di INEC portal. For a public notice wey dem issue yesterday, APC say e no don release any official list of winners from di primaries and warn members and di general public against relying on unauthorised publications.
Di disclaimer, wey di APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka sign, bin share on di party official X account. According to di party, reports wey dey announce di outcome of di primaries na false and dem suppose disregard am. Di public dey advised to disregard any publication or report wey purport to announce di outcome of di primaries, as such information na false and unauthorised, di statement read.
Di party explain say successful aspirants go be officially informed through di party recognised communication channels before dem issue dem Certificates of Return. Meanwhile, some political parties dey complain say dem no get di access code yet, but INEC say dem don release am. Di electoral umpire say e conduct training for representatives of available parties on use of di codes on Thursday and Friday, and insist say di deadline for upload of candidates remain July 11.
Dis one come as rival factions of PDP and African Democratic Congress, ADC, dey angle to get INEC nod to upload candidates on its portal. Di electoral umpire say e don begin training for representatives of political parties to assist dem navigate its online nomination portal for submission of candidates details ahead of 2027 general elections. Di parties get until July 11, 2026, to upload nominations for presidential and National Assembly seats.
A top INEC source, wey dey speak on state of compliance by political parties, urge patience, note say e premature to assess how parties dey fare with di exercise. We dey interface with dem. Dem get until July 11 to finish dia uploads. E too early to talk about compliance or otherwise. Di ICT personnel of di parties know di processes of uploading di required details. Last Thursday and Friday, we get training for representatives of political parties. If dem get challenges, our personnel dey on standby to assist. E nothing difficult. Even you for media, also use our dedicated portal to do same, di source talk.
When dem contact INEC Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, e dismiss claims say parties no don get codes. Any party wey dey claim say dem no get di access codes, ask dem if dem dey di training on Thursday and Friday. Dem expect to get codes without di training? Di training continue and if by Monday dem no get di codes, den dem fit make such claims, e talk.
However, some parties like di Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, say dem approach INEC for di access code but di commission no don respond. Di National Publicity Secretary of di NDC, Osa Director, say dem approach INEC but dem yet to respond to dia request. Hopefully, dem go dey court tomorrow to file for stay of execution of di Lokoja FHC ruling.
Di Labour Party, LP, like other political parties, still dey wait to receive access codes to upload dia list of candidates for 2027 elections. Di party spokesperson, Ken Asogwa, no dey available for comments, but a high-ranking party official say di party dey aware say di commission yet to release di codes to other political parties as of Saturday. Di source say dem tell dem say di codes fit dey ready by Monday. As I dey speak to you, no political party don get di code you dey talk about.
But one party, Because Of Our Tomorrow, BOOT, say dem don get di access code. National Chairman of di party, Sunny Adenuga, tell Vanguard say INEC don inform dem say di code dey ready. Dem go collect am early next week.
