2027 Elections: INEC Releases Access Codes To APC, PDP, ADC, NDC, And Others For 2027 Race
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially issued portal access codes to nine political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections. This administrative move enables the selected political organizations to securely upload the official names and credentials of their designated candidates directly into the electoral umpire's central database.
According to investigative findings, the political entities granted access include major frontrunners and minority parties alike, such as the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). The issuance of these cryptographic codes marks a critical early step in INEC's digital timeline to ensure a transparent, automated candidate screening process for the upcoming election cycle.
The candidates are expected to contest for the offices of President, Senate, House of Representatives and governorship seats across the country, with the exception of Kogi and Osun states which operate off-cycle governorship elections.
A senior official of the commission, who spoke with LEADERSHIP on condition of anonymity on Monday, confirmed that the NDC was among the parties granted access to the portal, dismissing reports that the party had been denied the necessary credentials.
“It is misinformation to suggest that the NDC was denied access code to upload its candidates to the INEC portal,” the official said.
“The commission has no reason whatsoever to deny any registered political party access to the platform. I can confirm on good authority that the NDC was among the parties that received their access codes to upload the names of their candidates.”
The clarification comes amid claims by officials of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, which has been embroiled in a legal dispute over moves to deregister the party.
According to media reports, an NDC official, Osa Director, had alleged that the party approached INEC to obtain the access code but was informed that the commission would get back to it.
“We approached INEC to collect the access code to upload the names of our candidates to the INEC portal. They told us that they would get back to us,” he was quoted as saying, insisting that any delay in uploading candidates should not be blamed on the party.
An anonymous official from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) clarified that the agency continues to treat all eligible political entities with absolute fairness and transparency. While nine parties initially received portal access, the source revealed that ongoing clearances are expected to push the total number of approved parties to 13 before the close of business on Monday.
Furthermore, the INEC official strongly urged the public to disregard widespread rumors claiming specific political parties would be intentionally blocked from the candidate nomination system. The commission reemphasized its strict institutional commitment to maintaining an unbiased, transparent environment and ensuring a level playing field for all registered participants throughout the 2027 electoral cycle.