0
0
Nigeria’s 2027 presidential contest is gradually taking shape, but for some political parties, the race may already be heading from the campaign field to the courtroom.
INEC’s portal for submitting presidential and National Assembly candidates closed at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, July 14, after the commission granted political parties an extension from the original July 11 deadline.
Before the portal closed, reports indicated that three parties had not completed the submission of their presidential and vice-presidential candidates: APGA, the Nyesom Wike-backed faction of the PDP and the Nenadi Usman-led faction of the Labour Party.
However, there is an important contradiction.
The Wike-backed PDP faction later announced that it had successfully uploaded its presidential, vice-presidential and National Assembly candidates. This means Nigerians should be careful about concluding that all three parties missed the final deadline until INEC releases an official statement or publishes the candidates’ particulars.
Meanwhile, the major presidential tickets reportedly submitted include:
🔹 APC: Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima
🔹 ADC: Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi
🔹 NDC: Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso
But uploading names to the portal is only the first hurdle.
The bigger battle is over which party leadership and which candidates INEC will ultimately recognise—especially where rival factions and court judgments are involved.
ADC’s Legal Trouble
The ADC submitted the names of Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi, but a Court of Appeal judgment involving the party’s leadership has created fresh uncertainty.
Former Senate President David Mark remained listed on INEC’s portal as ADC National Chairman at the time of the report. Yet questions remain about how the court’s decision could affect the recognition of the party’s leadership and candidates.
The party has also demanded the arrest and prosecution of former Deputy National Chairman Nafiu Bala Gombe over an allegedly forged document claiming that he obtained INEC’s access code and uploaded candidates.
This is no longer an ordinary internal party disagreement. If access to an electoral portal was falsely claimed, INEC and law-enforcement agencies must investigate it transparently.
NDC Submits Peter Obi’s Name
The Nigeria Democratic Congress reportedly uploaded Peter Obi as its presidential candidate, with Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as his running mate.
However, the party is also challenging a court ruling affecting its status. It says it has filed an appeal and requested a stay of execution.
Once again, submission does not necessarily mean final clearance.
Accord Party Dispute Continues
Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim is asking the court to declare him the Accord Party’s lawful presidential candidate.
He maintains that he emerged from the party’s June 30 presidential primary but that the party failed to submit his name to INEC. Alternatively, he wants the court to order a fresh primary.
His final position may therefore depend on the court—not merely what was uploaded before the portal closed.
My Take
What should have been a straightforward administrative exercise is already becoming a complicated battle involving rival factions, court orders, disputed party executives and conflicting claims.
This is exactly where INEC must demonstrate transparency.
The commission should publish:
🔹 The names submitted by every political party
🔹 The time each submission was completed
🔹 The names of parties that failed to submit complete tickets
🔹 The party leadership recognised for each submission
🔹 Any changes subsequently made because of court orders
Nigerians should not be forced to depend on factional press statements or anonymous sources to know who is contesting for the presidency.
And let us be clear: meeting a portal deadline is not evidence that a candidate is qualified, properly nominated or finally recognised. It only shows that a submission was made.
The final list—and the legal decisions behind it—will tell us who is truly on the ballot.
Do you think INEC should immediately publish a complete, time-stamped list of every party’s submission?
— Ozo Carl Ogbenna
SB E-news.
About the Author
