Nigerian Parties Rush to Meet INEC Candidate Upload Deadline Amid Technical Glitches

Nigerian political parties are in a race against time to meet the July 11 deadline for uploading their candidates' information onto the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal for the 2027 general elections. The process has revealed mixed fortunes, with some parties navigating the system smoothly while others grapple with significant hurdles.

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We are complying as usual. We will upload all our candidates before the deadline.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) have reported successfully uploading their candidates. However, other parties, including the BOOT Party, have expressed frustration with the INEC portal's functionality. Sonny Adenuga, National Chairman of BOOT Party, described the process as difficult after receiving the portal code only last week, though he affirmed compliance before the deadline.

The Labour Party (LP) initially faced technical glitches but has since resolved them. Ken Asogwa, LP's National Publicity Secretary, explained that the automated system sometimes rejects particulars if they don't precisely match the pre-uploaded data, such as the order of a candidate's first and last names. Despite these initial technical issues, the party confirmed a seamless uploading process afterward.

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We started uploading last week. It has been seamless. The only challenge has been technical.

Beyond portal challenges, some parties are still working to finalize their vice-presidential candidates and resolve internal disputes arising from primary elections. The electoral commission's firm stance on the July 11 deadline intensifies the pressure on these parties to overcome both technical and internal logistical obstacles.

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You know INEC has automated its system and we earlier submitted a list of successful candidates which has been uploaded in their system. The system sometimes rejects particulars if they do not match what it has.