The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the lists of their candidates for the 2027 Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections by three days.
The Commission announced on Saturday that the deadline, originally scheduled to expire on August 8, 2026, has been moved to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The extension, according to INEC, followed appeals from political parties seeking additional time to complete the uploading of their candidates’ lists on the Commission’s dedicated online portal.
The development was contained in a statement issued by the National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, on Saturday.
INEC said the extension was approved to accommodate concerns raised by political parties and enable them to conclude the submission process for the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections scheduled to hold as part of the February 2027 General Election.
INEC announced the suspension of physical collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The Commission said voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced PVCs must download printable copies of their replacement cards before midnight on Sunday, August 9, 2026.
According to INEC, the deadline is necessary to enable it compile the data of downloaded replacement PVCs and produce final statistics on the total number of PVCs collected ahead of the governorship election.
The Commission had earlier commenced PVC collection in Osun State at the Registration Area level from July 22 to July 28.
However, following complaints by voters about large crowds and difficulties encountered at collection centres, the Commission extended the Registration Area-level exercise to July 31.
PVC collection subsequently moved to the Local Government Area level and continued from August 1 to August 7.
The latest decision to end the download window for replacement PVCs is therefore aimed at allowing INEC to finalise the voter-card data ahead of the August 15 poll.
The electoral body 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 during invasions of the two collection centres.
INEC assured affected voters that they could access replacement downloadable copies of their cards.
The Commission, however, stressed that the stolen physical PVCs cannot be used to vote during the election.
The clarification is significant as the Commission moves to address concerns arising from the theft of voter cards from the two centres.
INEC has continued to emphasise the importance of the Permanent Voter Card and the safeguards embedded in the electoral process to prevent stolen or compromised cards from being used to undermine the integrity of the election.
INEC reiterated its commitment to conducting a free, fair, credible and inclusive election in Osun State.
The Commission said the measures being implemented, including the adjustments to PVC collection and the provision of replacement downloadable cards to affected voters, were part of efforts to ensure eligible voters are not disenfranchised.
The August 15 election is expected to be closely watched as political parties and candidates intensify their campaigns ahead of the poll.
INEC’s latest announcement also comes at a critical stage of preparations for the 2027 General Election, with political parties now given additional time to complete the submission of candidates for governorship and State Houses of Assembly contests.
The Commission urged political parties and voters to take note of the respective deadlines and comply with the approved electoral timetable.
