The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) extends timelines for candidates ahead of Nigeria’s next governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections, including the 2027 general election. It says it is granting political parties additional time to complete processes required for candidate list submissions and/or uploads on INEC’s portal.

According to INEC’s information and voter education committee chairman, Mohammed Haruna, the upload window is extended from August 8 to August 11, 2026. The extension follows appeals by political parties for more time to complete requirements. INEC also addresses voter card procedures in Osun State, where it suspends the collection of permanent voter cards (PVCs) ahead of the state governorship election.

In the same related update, INEC sets a deadline for voters to print downloadable PVC copies—by midnight of Sunday, August 9, 2026—and says downloadable replacements are available for voters whose PVCs are lost, damaged, defaced, or taken by “hoodlums.” Across reports, INEC reiterates that stolen PVCs cannot be used to vote, and it notes efforts to compile final statistics ahead of the August 15 Osun election.