PDP denies missing INEC deadline, criticizes 'unverified' report

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly denied allegations that it failed to submit the names of its presidential and vice-presidential candidates before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deadline. The party asserted that it fully complied with the electoral timetable, submitting all necessary documentation within the prescribed timeframe.

“

For the record, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) successfully uploaded the names and particulars of its Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates to the INEC nomination portal at exactly 11:50 a.m. on Thursday, 10 July 2026, in full compliance with the Commission’s requirements and within the stipulated timeline.

Reports had surfaced suggesting the PDP was among three political parties that missed the nomination portal's closing. However, the PDP's National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, issued a statement calling the claims "false, misleading and a gross misrepresentation of facts." He confirmed that the party successfully uploaded the particulars of its candidates at 11:50 a.m. on Thursday, July 10, 2026, meeting all INEC requirements.

“

Journalism demands accuracy, fairness, and verification. Unfortunately, these basic principles were ignored in the publication, resulting in the dissemination of false information capable of misleading the public and creating an erroneous impression about the PDP’s compliance with the electoral process.

The PDP expressed surprise that a major news platform published the report without verifying the information, especially since it was attributed to an anonymous source. The party argued that the publication ignored basic journalistic principles of accuracy, fairness, and verification. The PDP demanded an immediate retraction of the report, a public apology, and a correction, insisting that its rebuttal should receive the same prominence as the original inaccurate publication to avoid misleading the public.

“

We therefore call on Daily Trust to immediately apologise and retract the inaccurate report, publish a correction, and accord this rebuttal the same prominence in the interest of fairness, professionalism, and responsible journalism.