Fresh disputes have emerged within Nigeria’s major political parties following the release of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal access for the submission of candidates for the 2027 general elections, with rival factions battling for control of nomination lists.
Breezy News gathered that the faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recognised by INEC has begun uploading its candidates to the electoral body’s portal after receiving the required access code, while a rival faction insists it is awaiting the outcome of ongoing court cases.
The PDP’s National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, confirmed on Monday that the party had received all the necessary documents from INEC to facilitate the submission of candidates.
“We have received INEC’s access code and have commenced uploading candidates’ details,” Bature said.
He added that the party had also obtained all relevant documentation required for the 2027 elections and expressed confidence that the upload process would be completed before the deadline.
According to him, the party remains united and optimistic about its chances in the forthcoming polls.
However, a member of the Tanimu Turaki-led PDP Interim National Working Committee, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly, said the faction had yet to receive the access code from INEC.
The source maintained that the issue would ultimately be settled by the courts before the submission deadline.
“To the best of my knowledge, we are yet to receive the access code. However, there are still cases before the court. It is not about who gets it first but the final judgment, and we are confident justice will prevail,” the source said.
Meanwhile, the Publicity Secretary of the Turaki-led committee, Ini Ememobong, accused INEC of treating opposition parties unfairly.
He alleged that the commission, under its current leadership, had failed to inspire confidence among opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Our view is that history will remember this as one of the most contentious periods for INEC before a general election. We do not believe the commission has been fair to the PDP or other opposition parties,” Ememobong said.
The leadership crisis within the PDP intensified after the Supreme Court, in a split 3-2 judgment delivered on 30 April, nullified the party’s national convention held in Ibadan in November 2025, which produced the Tanimu Turaki-led leadership.
Following the ruling, the party’s Board of Trustees reconstituted Turaki and other officials as an Interim National Working Committee.
Since then, the interim leadership has operated alongside the INEC-recognised faction led by Abdulrahman Mohammed and National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu.
Responding to enquiries, INEC National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna confirmed that political parties had started collecting access codes for candidate nominations from 26 June.
He disclosed that several parties, including the Social Democratic Party (SDP), had already obtained their codes.
Haruna also reiterated that INEC recognises only the PDP leadership endorsed by the courts.
“I don’t know about any faction in the PDP. We recognise the leadership affirmed by the court. That is the Supreme Court’s position, and that is what we follow,” he said.
He explained that the commission’s pre-election and monitoring department handles the submission of nomination forms and candidate uploads.
Under INEC’s timetable for the 2027 elections, political parties began receiving portal access codes on 26 June, while the deadline for submitting candidates is 18 July.
The internal wrangling is not limited to the national level.
In Lagos State, uncertainty continues to surround the PDP governorship ticket, with Adedeji Doherty and Adetokunbo Pearse both laying claim to the party’s nomination.
Despite the dispute, party leaders expressed optimism that their preferred candidates for governorship and legislative seats would eventually appear on INEC’s final list.
Sources also revealed that aspirants aligned with Pearse are expected to meet PDP chieftain Bode George to seek clarification over the status of their candidacies.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is also facing internal disagreements, although party leaders insist there has been no alteration to the list of candidates that emerged from its legislative primaries in Lagos State.
Lagos APC Chairman Cornelius Ojelabi said the state chapter merely published the outcome of primaries conducted by a committee appointed by the party’s national leadership and that any changes would only come after the national appeal process.
In Edo State, however, the APC confirmed that its candidates had already been successfully uploaded to the INEC portal.
The party’s Publicity Secretary, Peter Uwadiae-Igbinigie, said the APC National Appeals Committee reviewed petitions from aggrieved aspirants before clearing the final list.
According to him, the approved candidates include Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama for Edo South Senatorial District, Joe Ikpea for Edo Central and Adams Oshiomhole for Edo North.
He also confirmed that candidates for the House of Representatives across the state’s constituencies had been cleared and uploaded to the electoral commission’s portal.
