Mark your calendars — political parties will get the keys to INEC’s Candidate Nomination Portal in just a few weeks, and the 2027 race officially kicks off from there.

So, INEC is getting the ball rolling for the 2027 general elections. The electoral body has confirmed it will hand out access codes to all political parties on Friday, June 26, 2026. Those codes are what parties need to start uploading details of their candidates on the Candidate Nomination Portal.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, shared the update on Tuesday during the commission’s quarterly sit-down with leaders of registered political parties in Abuja, according to cbinews.tv.

This comes right after party primaries wrapped up on May 30, 2026. Basically, we’re moving to the next big phase.

Prof. Amupitan explained that the codes will go straight to authorised national officers of each party. Their job? Upload the names, personal details, and all the other info INEC requires for every nominated candidate.

“On Friday, June 26, 2026, the commission will issue official access codes to all political parties for the purpose of accessing the Candidate Nomination Portal,” he said, as reported by cbinews.tv.

“These access codes will enable designated national officers of political parties to upload the names, personal particulars and other required information relating to nominated candidates.”

He didn’t mince words about deadlines either. Parties need to get their ICT teams and relevant officers ready, because once the portal’s timer runs out, it shuts down automatically. No extensions, no favours.

“I urge political parties to ensure that their ICT personnel and relevant officers are adequately prepared and that all submissions are completed well before the stipulated deadlines. The portal is fully automated and will close automatically at the expiration of the prescribed period,” Amupitan added.

The INEC boss also raised an eyebrow at ongoing court cases over party leadership. He called them “unnecessary distractions” that could throw preparations off track and urged political actors to sort them out quickly.

On INEC’s part, he reassured everyone that the commission will stay independent and stick to the Constitution. He also had a message for parties: step up voter education. Get eligible Nigerians to register and collect their PVCs.

“The success of the 2027 general election will depend not only on the preparedness of the commission but also on the commitment of political parties to uphold democratic principles, respect the rule of law, conduct transparent primaries, discourage violence, hate speech and vote-buying, and promote issue-based campaigns,” he noted.

Amupitan added that INEC will keep providing a level playing field and following the Electoral Act and guidelines to the letter. And yes, despite a couple of pending appeals from Federal High Court judgments, prep for 2027 is going ahead as planned.

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