PDP, NDC, ADP, LP CONFIRM COMPLIANCE AS INEC PREPARES CLARIFICATION

Several opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party, the Nigeria Democratic Congress, the Action Democratic Party and the Labour Party, have confirmed that they met the Independent National Electoral Commission’s October 24 deadline to correct the omission of their candidates from the published lists for the 2027 general elections.

The compliance was confirmed by party officials in separate interviews on Sunday, even as the commission prepares to clarify the status of the affected aspirants this week, ValidViewNetwork reports .

THE COMPLIANCE

The PDP’s National Organising Secretary, Captain Umar Bature (retd.), confirmed that the party completed the required corrections within the stipulated period.

“Yes, we met the deadline since,” Bature told reporters.

The party’s affected candidates included its governorship hopefuls in Ogun State, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, and Gombe State, Professor Isa Pantami, as well as several House of Assembly candidates.

The NDC’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, was equally direct: “Yes, we did”.

The ADP’s National Chairman, Engr. Yabagi Yusuf Sani, confirmed compliance, saying, “we did. Thanks a lot” .

The Labour Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa, said the party was in good standing with INEC on all matters relating to candidate corrections and replacements.

“The Labour Party is in good standing with INEC, including on matters relating to the correction of names and replacement of candidates,” Asogwa said.

THE AWAITED CLARIFICATION

Despite the parties’ assurances, uncertainty remains over the status of some candidates whose names were missing from the published list.

Among them are John Upan of the NDC and Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo of the ADC in Cross River State.

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Toyo told reporters that she had completed all the required steps before the deadline but was still awaiting an official response from INEC.

“They gave us the deadline of October 24, which was Saturday, and I had done all that they asked for, but they have not brought out any information. Let’s wait for them,” she said .

INEC’s Head of Voter Education in Cross River State, Osaro Aisen, said the matter was being handled at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja and involved legal considerations.

“The whole thing is handled from Abuja and it is a legal matter. Let’s see what will come forth tomorrow (Monday),” Aisen said, adding that he could not provide a categorical answer at the time .

THE CONTEXT

INEC had given the affected parties until October 24 to notify it of candidates they believed were wrongly excluded, in line with Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, which provides a 14-day window from the date of publication .

The omissions followed a Supreme Court judgment in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, which upheld Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act, requiring political parties to submit their membership registers to INEC within the stipulated period.

Parties that failed to comply were deemed ineligible to sponsor candidates for the election.

The final lists of presidential and National Assembly candidates had been published on September 12, 2026, 13 days before the Supreme Court delivered its judgment, meaning the governorship and state assembly lists were the ones affected by the ruling.

WHY IT MATTERS

The compliance of the PDP, NDC, ADP and LP is a necessary first step, but it is not a guarantee of reinstatement.

INEC has yet to announce whether it has accepted the corrections filed by the parties.

The commission’s clarification, expected this week, will determine whether candidates like Adebutu, Pantami, Toyo and Upan will appear on the ballot in 2027.

For the parties, the deadline was a test of administrative competence.

For the candidates, it is a test of political survival.

For INEC, it is a test of whether the commission can apply the law consistently and transparently. The deadline has passed. The waiting has begun. ValidViewNetwork reports.