The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and State House of Assembly elections to August 11, 2026.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, announced the extension in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday.

Haruna said the extension followed appeals from political parties seeking additional time to complete the nomination process and upload their candidates’ details to the commission’s dedicated portal.

According to him, the submission window, which was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, August 8, has now been extended to Tuesday, August 11.

He said the decision was taken in response to growing requests from political parties for more time to complete the process.

Meanwhile, INEC has reminded voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) that the deadline for printing downloadable copies of their cards expires at midnight on Sunday, August 9.

Haruna said the deadline would enable the commission to compile data on downloaded PVCs and finalise statistics on PVC collection ahead of the August 15 governorship election in Osun State.

He recalled that PVC collection in Osun was initially conducted at the Registration Area level from July 22 to July 28.

Following complaints about large crowds and difficulties experienced by voters at collection centres, the commission extended the Registration Area-level collection to July 31.

Collection subsequently moved to the Local Government Area level from August 1 to August 7.

Haruna also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas following the theft of cards during separate invasions of the two collection centres by hoodlums.

He, however, stressed that the stolen PVCs could not be used to vote.

The INEC National Commissioner reassured the people of Osun State of the commission’s readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on August 15.