INEC Extends Deadline For Submission Of 2027 Governorship, Assembly Candidates

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the list of candidates for the 2027 Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.

The Commission said the deadline, which was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, August 8, 2026, has now been extended to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
INEC said the extension followed appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the process of uploading their candidates’ lists on the dedicated portal.

The Commission announced the extension in a statement issued on Saturday by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna.

In a separate development concerning the forthcoming Osun State governorship election, INEC said the window for voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to print downloadable copies of their cards would close by midnight on Sunday, August 9, 2026.

The Commission explained that the deadline would enable it compile data on downloaded PVCs and determine the final statistics of total PVCs collected ahead of the August 15, 2026 Osun governorship election.

It recalled that PVC collection in Osun State commenced at the Registration Area level from July 22 to 28, 2026.
Following complaints about large crowds and difficulties encountered by voters at collection centres, the Commission approved an extension of Registration Area-level collection to July 31.

PVC collection subsequently moved to the Local Government Area level and continued from August 1 to 7, 2026.

INEC also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had 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 collection centres.

The electoral body stressed that the stolen cards could not be used to vote.
INEC assured the people of Osun State of its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on August 15, 2026.