The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and several political parties are at odds over the availability of access codes required for uploading candidates’ details ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Under the commission’s election timetable, political parties are expected to submit the particulars of their presidential and National Assembly candidates through INEC’s online nomination portal, with the deadline fixed for July 11, 2026.
While INEC maintains that the access codes have been released and representatives of political parties have already undergone training on the nomination process, many parties insist they are yet to receive the codes needed to complete the exercise.
An INEC official disclosed that the commission conducted training sessions for political party representatives on Thursday and Friday, adding that technical support remains available throughout the nomination period.
The official urged parties to take advantage of the available support, stressing that the deadline for uploading candidates’ information remains unchanged.
Similarly, INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, dismissed claims that the commission had failed to provide the access codes.
According to her, political parties that participated in the training exercise were expected to receive the codes, noting that any concerns should only arise after the completion of the exercise.
The commission’s revised timetable provides that the online portal for submission of nomination forms for presidential and National Assembly candidates opened on June 27 and will close on July 11, while the portal for governorship and State House of Assembly candidates will run from July 18 to August 8.
However, several political parties told reporters they had yet to receive the access codes.
Officials of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Labour Party (LP) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) all claimed that the commission had not issued the codes to them as of the weekend.
The NDC, which is currently challenging a Federal High Court judgment affecting its registration, said it had formally approached INEC for the access code but was still awaiting a response.
Despite the legal challenge, the party maintained that it remains committed to participating in the 2027 elections and expressed confidence that the appellate court would overturn the ruling.
Labour Party officials also confirmed they were waiting for INEC to provide the codes, although they said nomination forms had already been distributed to prospective candidates.
In contrast, the Because Of Our Tomorrow (BOOT) Party confirmed that INEC had notified it that its access code was ready for collection.
Meanwhile, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) disclosed that INEC had already begun issuing access codes for the Osun State governorship election, while expressing optimism that the process for the 2027 general elections would also commence fully.
Political stakeholders, however, believe the disagreement over access codes is unlikely to disrupt the electoral timetable, expressing confidence that outstanding issues would be resolved before the July 11 deadline for presidential and National Assembly nominations.
