The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit their lists of candidates for the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections scheduled for the February 2027 General Election.
The commission announced the extension in a statement signed by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, and published on its verified official X handle.
INEC said the submission deadline, initially set for Saturday, 8 August 2026, had been extended to Tuesday, 11 August 2026.
According to the INEC, the extension followed appeals from political parties seeking additional time to complete the submission process through its dedicated online portal.
Meanwhile, it announced the expiration of the deadline for voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to print downloadable copies of their cards.
INEC said the window would close at midnight on Sunday, 9 August 2026.
It explained that the deadline was necessary to enable it to compile data on downloaded PVCs and establish the final statistics of cards collected ahead of the August 15 Osun State governorship election.
INEC recalled that PVC collection in Osun State commenced at the Registration Area (RA) level from July 22 to 28, 2026, but was extended to July 31 following complaints about large crowds and difficulties encountered by voters at some collection centres.
The exercise was subsequently moved to the Local Government Area (LGA) level and conducted from August 1 to 7.
The commission also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas, following reports that hoodlums invaded the two collection centres and carted away some PVCs.
INEC, however, clarified that the stolen PVCs cannot be used to vote, urging voters to use the replacement cards made available through the approved process.
It urged political parties and affected voters to take note of the respective deadlines and comply with the stipulated procedures.
