Date: June 30, 2026 l Reporter: Kingston Nwosu
ABUJA, Nigeria — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun issuing candidate nomination portal access codes to political parties for the 2027 general elections, following a Federal High Court judgment that directed the electoral body to extend the same privilege to the All Democratic Alliance (ADA) after resolving a leadership dispute within the political association.
The access codes enable registered political parties to upload the names and particulars of their nominated candidates onto INEC's online nomination portal, marking a crucial stage in the preparations for the 2027 elections. Political parties are required to submit completed nomination forms and supporting documents electronically within timelines prescribed by the electoral commission.
The development follows a judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, who ordered INEC to issue an access code to the leadership of the All Democratic Alliance led by Chief Akin Ricketts. The court held that the commission had wrongly issued the access code to Umar Ardo, whom it found was not the recognised interim secretary or chairman of the association.
In addition to directing INEC to provide the access code within 72 hours, the court ordered the electoral commission to reopen its registration portal for one week to allow the ADA leadership to upload its membership register and other statutory documents required for political party registration. The judgment also nullified all actions previously taken by Ardo on behalf of the association in relation to the registration process.
Reacting to the release of the access codes, African Democratic Congress (ADC) National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi confirmed that the party had received its credentials from INEC and had commenced the process of uploading candidates' details onto the commission's portal. He described the exercise as a routine but critical phase of the electoral timetable ahead of the 2027 polls.
However, the legal dispute surrounding the ADA is not yet over. Shortly after the Federal High Court's decision, Umar Ardo filed an appeal asking the Court of Appeal to overturn the judgment. He argues that the trial court erred in recognising the Ricketts-led faction and has requested a stay of execution of the order compelling INEC to issue the access code.
The appeal means that while the Federal High Court has cleared the path for ADA's registration process, the final outcome of the party's internal leadership dispute may ultimately be determined by the appellate court. Legal observers say the case could have significant implications for the party's ability to fully participate in the 2027 general elections if the appeal succeeds.
INEC has maintained that all political parties and associations seeking registration or participating in elections must comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the commission's regulations governing candidate nominations and party registration. The commission has not publicly commented on the pending appeal but is expected to comply with any binding court orders while the litigation continues.
The issuance of the candidate upload access codes represents another major milestone in Nigeria's electoral calendar as political parties intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections. With nomination processes now underway and legal contests continuing in some quarters, attention is shifting toward the completion of candidate submissions and the resolution of outstanding disputes that could shape the political landscape ahead of the polls.