The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will open its nomination portal on July 18, 2026, for political parties to upload the names of their governorship and State House of Assembly candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The submission window will run until August 8, 2026, following the conclusion of party primaries across the country.
The next phase comes shortly after the commission closed the portal for the submission of presidential and National Assembly candidates. INEC had earlier extended the deadline for those nominations from July 11 to July 14 after appeals from political parties through the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).
While many parties completed their primaries successfully, several others were affected by leadership disputes, court cases, prolonged primaries and disagreements over consensus arrangements.
In Kano State, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is facing a leadership crisis, with two governorship aspirants, Ibrahim Khalil and Ibrahim Ali-Amin (Al’amin Little) claiming the party’s ticket, while other aspirants insist no valid primary election was conducted.
Also in Kano, governorship aspirant Mukhtar Muhammad and other members of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) have approached the Federal High Court seeking to nullify the party’s primaries and prevent INEC from recognising its candidates.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) also recorded internal disagreements in states including Zamfara, Kwara, Benue and Bauchi, where disputes over consensus arrangements, alleged imposition of candidates and postponed primaries triggered protests and legal challenges.
Political analysts warn that unresolved disputes within political parties could complicate the submission of governorship and State Assembly candidates, particularly in states where court cases are still pending.
They also believe the coming weeks will test INEC’s ability to enforce its electoral timetable, especially after previously granting an extension for presidential and National Assembly nominations.
As attention shifts to the states, stakeholders will be watching closely to see whether political parties can meet the August 8 deadline without seeking another extension. Visit www.jocomms.com for more news.
