The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned political parties that it will reject the names of candidates submitted for the 2027 general elections if they differ from the results of party primaries monitored and uploaded by the commission.
The warning comes amid fresh controversy surrounding the All Progressives Congress (APC), which recently reviewed the outcome of its National Assembly primaries by restoring the tickets of several serving senators and members of the House of Representatives across nine states.
INEC National Commissioner, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said the commission’s electronic nomination portal had been configured to accept only the names of candidates that correspond with the authentic results uploaded by officials who monitored the primaries.
According to him, any attempt by political parties to substitute candidates outside the monitored results would be automatically rejected during the online nomination process.
The commission explained that the safeguard was introduced under the amended Electoral Act 2026 to prevent arbitrary substitutions that led to prolonged legal disputes after previous elections.
The APC’s latest review reinstated the candidacies of six serving senators, including Senator Sunday Karimi (Kogi West), Emmanuel Udende (Benue North-East), Titus Zam (Benue North-West), Shuaibu Isa Lau (Taraba North), Adeniyi Adegbonmire (Ondo Central) and Olajide Ipinsagba (Ondo North).
Prince Paul Ikonne also emerged as the party’s candidate for Abia South.
One of the most notable changes saw former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam lose the Benue North-East ticket after the appeal committee restored incumbent Senator Emmanuel Udende.
Party sources attributed the reversals to interventions by President Bola Tinubu, the APC National Working Committee, governors, influential stakeholders and traditional rulers, who reportedly sought to resolve disputes arising from the primaries and prevent internal divisions ahead of the 2027 elections.
The sources said political negotiations and power-sharing arrangements played significant roles in resolving disagreements in states such as Benue and Ondo, while traditional rulers were also said to have influenced some of the decisions taken by the party’s appeal committee.
Despite the APC’s internal review, INEC maintained that only candidates who emerged from duly monitored primaries would be recognised.
Haruna noted that all registered political parties had received access codes for the online submission of candidates and that the commission had already uploaded verified primary election results into its database.
He stressed that any name submitted by a political party that does not tally with INEC’s uploaded records would not be accepted by the electronic portal.
The commission’s position has heightened uncertainty over the APC’s revised candidate list and raised the prospect of fresh legal challenges if discrepancies arise before the nomination process is concluded.
Political observers believe INEC’s strict enforcement of the Electoral Act 2026 could significantly shape the final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections and reduce post-primary disputes that have previously ended in lengthy court battles.
