The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the lists of candidates for the 2027 Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.
The commission announced that the deadline, which was originally scheduled for Saturday, August 8, 2026, has been moved to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
INEC said the extension followed growing appeals from political parties for additional time to complete the submission and upload of their candidates’ lists on the commission’s dedicated portal.
The development was contained in a statement issued on Saturday, August 8, by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee.
In a related development, INEC said the window for voters in Osun State who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to print downloadable copies of their cards will close by midnight on Sunday, August 9, 2026.
The commission explained that the deadline would enable it to compile data on downloaded PVCs and determine the final statistics of cards collected ahead of the August 15, 2026 Osun State governorship election.
INEC recalled that PVC collection in Osun commenced at the Registration Area level from July 22 to 28, 2026, but was extended to July 31 following complaints about large crowds and difficulties experienced by voters at collection centres.
The exercise subsequently moved to the Local Government Area level from August 1 to 7, 2026.
The commission also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas whose cards were reportedly carted away by hoodlums who invaded the two collection centres.
INEC, however, stressed that the stolen PVCs cannot be used to vote.
The electoral body reassured the people of Osun State of its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on August 15, 2026.
