The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced an extension of the deadline for the submission and upload on the dedicated portal of the list of candidates for the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Elections for the February 2027 General Election.
ThelensNG reports that, according to the revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election, the submission window was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, August 8, 2026.
In a statement signed by its National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, INEC affirmed that the deadline had been extended to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
“The extension follows growing appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the process,” the statement said.
The Commission also notified voters who applied for the replacement of lost, damaged or defaced PVCs that the window to print downloadable copies of their cards would expire by midnight on Sunday, August 9, 2026.
INEC explained that this would allow the electoral body to compile data on downloaded PVCs for final statistics on the total number of PVCs collected ahead of the Osun Governorship Election on August 15, 2026.
The electoral body recalled that the collection of PVCs in Osun State commenced at the Registration Area (RA) level from July 22 to 28, 2026.
INEC stressed that, owing to complaints of large crowds and difficulties encountered by voters at collection centres, the Commission approved an extension of RA-level collection to July 31, 2026, before collection moved to the LGA level, running from August 1 to 7, 2026.
It stated that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas after their cards were stolen by hoodlums who invaded the two centres.
The Commission reiterated that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote, while reassuring the people of Osun State of its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on August 15, 2026.
