The countdown to the 2027 general elections has officially begun. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has taken a major regulatory step by issuing online portal access codes to nine registered political parties, allowing them to begin uploading the names of their official candidates.

Among the initial political parties granted access are:

  • APC (All Progressives Congress)

  • PDP (Peoples Democratic Party)

  • ADC (African Democratic Congress)

  • NDC (Nigeria Democratic Congress)

These credentials will enable parties to nominate their flagbearers for the upcoming Presidential, Governorship, Senate, and House of Representatives elections.

📌 Note on Exceptions: This candidate upload applies to all federal and state tracks across the country except for Kogi and Osun states, where governorship elections are run on an off-cycle schedule.

INEC Debunks NDC "Locked Out" Rumors

The rollout comes amid bubbling controversy surrounding the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), which is currently entangled in a legal battle regarding a potential deregistration move by the commission.

Rumors quickly spread that INEC had deliberately withheld the portal access codes from the NDC. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, claimed that when their officials approached the commission, they were vaguely told that INEC "would get back to them." Director warned that any subsequent delays in uploading their candidates shouldn't be blamed on the party.

However, a senior INEC official speaking on the condition of anonymity flatly dismissed those claims, labeling them as pure misinformation.

"The commission has no reason whatsoever to deny any registered political party access to the platform," the official clarified. "I can confirm on good authority that the NDC was among the parties that received their access codes to upload the names of their candidates."

What’s Next?

INEC maintains that it is committed to keeping the baseline transparent and fair for all participants heading into 2027. According to commission sources, more political parties are cleared to receive their portal credentials, which will bring the initial wave of verified parties with backend access up to 13.