Political parties are intensifying efforts to complete the upload of candidates’ details to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal ahead of the July 11 deadline, with major parties expressing confidence while several smaller parties grapple with technical and internal challenges.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) said they were making steady progress and expected to complete the exercise before the deadline.
However, some parties disclosed that technical issues with the INEC nomination portal, unresolved disputes arising from party primaries and delays in selecting running mates for governorship candidates have slowed the process.
Officials of the Because Of Our Tomorrow (BOOT) Party acknowledged experiencing difficulties with the portal after receiving access codes but expressed optimism that all candidates would be uploaded before the deadline.
The Labour Party also confirmed it initially encountered technical hitches but said the issues had been resolved, attributing the setbacks mainly to discrepancies between candidate details submitted to INEC and those being uploaded.
The Action Democratic Party (ADP) said it remained fully compliant with the electoral commission’s directive and was progressing steadily toward completing the exercise, while the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) reported minimal challenges and expressed confidence of meeting the deadline.
In contrast, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) admitted it was still assessing the progress of its upload process after receiving access to the INEC portal.
Within the APC, party officials maintained that the upload of candidates’ particulars was proceeding smoothly despite recent controversies surrounding revisions to its National Assembly candidates’ list. The party said its immediate priority was ensuring all nominees completed the documentation required for submission before the closing date.
The PDP also dismissed concerns over possible disruptions, insisting it had recorded no legal, administrative or technical obstacles since the nomination process commenced. Party leaders urged members to ignore reports of irregularities, describing them as attempts to distract the party.
Similarly, the ADC said it had successfully uploaded the names of its presidential and vice-presidential candidates and was on course to complete submissions for National Assembly candidates.
INEC had earlier opened its Candidate Nomination Portal for political parties to upload Form EC9 and other statutory documents for presidential, governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly candidates, insisting that submissions must be concluded by July 11. The commission has repeatedly indicated that no extension of the deadline will be granted.
