INEC Confirms Three Parties Lacked Presidential Candidates

On October 6, 2026, Professor Joash Amupitan, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), announced that three political parties—All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Youth Party (YP), and Accord Party (AP)—did not nominate presidential candidates for the upcoming 2027 general elections. During a press conference, Amupitan stated that out of the 22 registered political parties, 18 had successfully nominated candidates.

Additionally, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) withdrew its presidential nomination during the substitution window. For the National Assembly elections, 21 of the 22 parties submitted candidates, totaling 313 for the Senate and 3,547 for the House of Representatives.

The personal particulars of candidates were published on August 1, 2026, with the final list released on September 12, 2026. Amupitan also mentioned that 21 parties nominated 936 candidates for governorship and deputy governorship positions, along with 9,692 candidates for state Houses of Assembly.

Complaints regarding the nomination process included unlawful withdrawals and typographical errors, with 112 complaints investigated and resolved, except those pending in court.