Nigeria’s political landscape has entered a critical phase ahead of the 2027 general elections as the opening of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal for the submission of candidates has intensified internal crises within the country’s major political parties.
With political parties racing to upload the names of their candidates before INEC’s deadline, disputes over party leadership, rival claims to party structures and controversies surrounding primary elections have escalated, particularly within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Key Highlights:
- INEC opened its portal for 2027 candidate submissions.
- The move has deepened crises in major parties.
- PDP factions are battling over candidate nominations.
- APC is facing disputes in some states.
- INEC says it recognises court-backed party leaders.
- More legal battles are expected before the deadline.
The PDP remains at the centre of the unfolding political tension, with rival leadership factions laying claim to the authority to oversee the party’s nomination process.
One faction, led by National Chairman Abdulrahman Mohammed and National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, has announced that it received INEC’s access code for candidate submissions and has commenced uploading the names of the party’s candidates for the 2027 elections.
Speaking on the development, PDP National Organising Secretary Umar Bature said the leadership had obtained the necessary credentials from INEC and was on course to complete the submission process before the commission’s deadline.
He maintained that the party remained united under its leadership and expressed confidence that all nominated candidates would be successfully uploaded.
However, the rival Interim National Working Committee headed by Tanimu Turaki (SAN) insisted that although it had yet to receive the access code, the pending legal battle over the party’s leadership would ultimately determine which faction has the authority to submit candidates.
The group accused INEC of failing to remain neutral, alleging that the commission’s actions had further complicated the party’s internal leadership dispute.
INEC has, however, maintained that it deals only with party leadership recognised by the courts.
National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna said political parties had been collecting access codes since June 26, stressing that the commission remained bound by valid court decisions in all its engagements with political parties.
The APC is also grappling with disputes over candidate nominations in some states.
In Ondo State, hundreds of women members of the party staged a protest in Akure, rejecting what they described as an altered list of House of Representatives candidates released after the party’s primary elections.
The protesters alleged that the published list did not reflect the outcome of the direct primaries conducted across the state’s wards and urged the party’s national leadership to uphold the results produced by party members.
The protest disrupted traffic in parts of Akure as demonstrators demanded recognition for candidates they claimed legitimately emerged from the primaries.
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Meanwhile, the APC in Lagos State dismissed speculation that its list of legislative candidates had been altered, insisting that the list released after the primaries remained valid unless amended by the party’s national leadership after the completion of the appeals process.
Across several states, political parties have commenced uploading candidates while simultaneously working to resolve disputes arising from their primary elections.
State chapters of both the APC and the PDP in Edo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kogi, Kwara and Plateau states confirmed that they had received INEC access codes and had either completed or begun submitting the details of their candidates.
In Benue State, disagreements over the distribution of nomination forms have further exposed political divisions between supporters of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and those loyal to Governor Hyacinth Alia.
The commencement of candidate submissions has shifted political attention from party primaries to the battle for institutional recognition, as competing factions seek legitimacy ahead of the 2027 elections.
With the submission deadline approaching, political observers expect more court cases and possible realignments as parties seek to resolve internal disputes that could ultimately determine who appears on the ballot.
