2027 candidates: Fresh crisis hits parties as INEC portal opens

The Independent National Electoral Commission’s portal access for the 2027 elections has sparked fresh power struggles within major political parties, as rival factions and state chapters dispute control of candidate uploads and nomination lists ahead of the deadline.

The PUNCH learnt that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike-backed faction of the Peoples Democratic Party has commenced the upload of its candidates for the 2027 general elections to the Independent National Electoral Commission portal after receiving INEC’s access code.

PDP National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, in an exclusive interview on Monday, confirmed that the party had received all necessary documents from INEC for submission of its candidates.

However, a member of the Tanimu Turaki (SAN)-led PDP Interim National Working Committee, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said the faction had yet to receive the INEC access code. He expressed confidence that the courts would resolve the party’s leadership dispute in its favour before the submission deadline.

Although he declined to comment directly on the access code, the Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee’s Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, described the commission under Professor Joash Amupitan as the most contentious INEC leadership ahead of an election.

The Supreme Court, in a split 3–2 judgment delivered on April 30, invalidated the PDP National Convention in Ibadan on November 15 and 16, 2025, which produced the Turaki leadership and was supported by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.

Following the ruling, the party’s Board of Trustees, led by Adolphus Wabara, reconstituted Turaki and others as an Interim National Working Committee.

Since then, the interim leadership has operated alongside the INEC-recognised faction aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Responding to one of our correspondents’ enquiry, INEC said several political parties had begun collecting their access codes ahead of upcoming electoral activities, while reaffirming that it recognises only the leadership of the PDP endorsed by the court.

Speaking on the development, INEC National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna, on Monday, told The PUNCH that political parties have been collecting their nomination codes since June 26.

“Quite a number of political parties since June 26 have collected their codes already. I know the SDP, for instance, has collected. As for NDC, I will have to confirm; I am not sure,” he said.

Addressing questions on the PDP, Haruna said the commission only recognises the faction upheld by the court.

“I don’t know about any faction in the PDP. It is the one the court said we should recognise that we recognise. The Supreme Court’s position is what we follow,” he said.

On nomination forms, the INEC commissioner explained that he could not provide full details as it falls under another department.

“For the nomination forms, I don’t know which of them it was presented to because I don’t belong to the committee that handles that aspect. It is the pre-election and monitoring department that does that,” he said.

While the INEC-recognised leadership, led by Abdulrahman Mohammed and National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, conducted the sale of expression of interest and nomination forms under the commission’s supervision, the Turaki faction also issued forms to aspirants despite lacking INEC recognition and oversight.

According to INEC’s 2027 timetable, parties were to receive portal access codes for candidate uploads on June 26, while submission deadline is July 18.

Bature, confirming receipt of the code, said the PDP had begun uploading candidates.

He stated, “I can confirm that the Peoples Democratic Party, under Abdulrahman Mohammed and Senator Samuel Anyanwu, has received INEC’s access code. We have commenced uploading candidates’ details.

“We have also received all necessary documentation from INEC to meet requirements for the 2027 general elections. The upload is ongoing and will be completed before July 11, 2027.

“The party is in order, our candidates are preparing, and we are confident of victory.”

A source in the Turaki-led faction said it had not received the code but remained confident pending court decisions.

He said, “To the best of my knowledge, we are yet to receive the access code. However, there are still cases in court.

“It is not about who gets it first, but the final judgment. INEC will comply with the court decision. We are confident justice will prevail.”

Reacting, Ememobong alleged that INEC, under Professor Amupitan, had been unfair to opposition parties.

He said, “Our view is that history will record Amupitan as the most contentious INEC chairman before an election. He has not been fair not only to the PDP but also to other opposition parties.

“With the level of discredit he has earned, no opposition party can confidently say it has up to 50 per cent trust in his ability to conduct free and fair elections.

“But we remain hopeful and will continue to engage within the democratic process.”

In the Lagos State chapter of the PDP, uncertainty still reigns as Adedeji Doherty and Adetokunbo Pearse lay claim to the party’s governorship ticket.

Some party leaders told The PUNCH on Monday that despite the lingering dispute, they were optimistic that their names and those of their respective candidates for legislative positions at state and national levels would appear on the final list to be released by the Independent National Electoral Commission for the 2027 elections.

It was gathered that candidates aligned with Pearse are expected to meet PDP chieftain Bode George on Wednesday to seek clarification on the status of their candidacies ahead of the elections.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State chapter of the APC has maintained that the list of candidates that emerged from its legislative primaries remains unchanged despite protests by aggrieved aspirants.

Despite the controversy surrounding the primaries, the party leadership insisted that the list of House of Representatives and Lagos State House of Assembly candidates published in The Nation newspaper on Monday, May 25, 2026, remains valid.

Although the party is awaiting the release of the final list by its national leadership, the Lagos APC said it was unaware of any changes to the earlier published list.

Speaking recently with The PUNCH, the Lagos APC chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, said the state chapter merely published the outcome of primaries conducted by a committee set up by the party’s national headquarters, adding that any alteration would come from the national leadership after reviewing the appeal committee’s report.

The Edo State APC Publicity Secretary, Peter Uwadiae-Igbinigie, said the state had uploaded the names of its candidates into the INEC portal.