NEWS
INEC Grants Access Code to Sen. Nenadi E. Usman-Led Labour Party for 2027 Candidate Upload Process
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially confirmed that the Labour Party (LP), under the leadership of Senator Nenadi Esther Usman, is among the nine political parties that have successfully collected their access codes to commence the uploading of candidate particulars for the 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections.
The development marks another significant milestone in the nation’s electoral timetable, as political parties intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections through the commission’s digital nomination platform.
INEC’s National Commissioner for Voter Education and Publicity, Mohammed Haruna, disclosed that the parties currently in possession of the access codes are the Accord (A), Action Alliance (AA), African Democratic Congress (ADC), All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party (LP), National Democratic Congress (NDC), National Democratic Party (NDP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), and the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The confirmation means that the Sen. Nenadi Usman-led Labour Party can now proceed with the electronic submission of particulars for its candidates seeking to contest the presidential and National Assembly elections in 2027.
This development is coming amid the circulation of names of candidates said to have emerged under the Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party, including Ceekay Igara, who has been widely reported as having emerged as the party’s governorship candidate in Abia State, alongside other purported candidates.
INEC’s confirmation that the access code was collected by the Sen. Nenadi Usman-led Labour Party is expected to further shape discussions surrounding the party’s nomination process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Haruna explained that INEC does not distribute the access codes directly to party secretariats. Rather, political parties are required to formally request the credentials, while duly authorized representatives present official letters from their respective party leadership before collecting the codes.
To facilitate a smooth and transparent nomination exercise, the electoral commission has already conducted training sessions for party officials on the operational guidelines and procedures for the digital submission process, ensuring compliance with the established electoral framework.
With the submission portal for presidential and National Assembly candidates opened from June 27 and scheduled to close on July 11, INEC has appealed to political parties to complete their submissions early in order to avoid unnecessary delays and last-minute congestion.
“INEC has been generous by extending the deadline from the close of work to midnight of the deadline date. If any political party decides to wait until the deadline, INEC cannot be blamed for that,” Haruna stated, warning against procrastination
Following the completion of the presidential and National Assembly nomination exercise, attention will shift to governorship and State House of Assembly elections, with submissions for those categories scheduled to take place between July 18 and August 8.
As more political parties gain access to the nomination portal and begin uploading candidate particulars, the electoral process for the 2027 general elections continues to gather momentum, with the inclusion of the Sen. Nenadi E. Usman-led Labour Party highlighting its readiness to participate fully in the forthcoming polls.