INEC fixed 6pm on July 11, 2026, as the deadline for political parties to submit nomination forms for their presidential and National Assembly candidates through its online portal.

The exercise, which began on June 27, involved the submission of Forms EC9 and EC9A to EC9E in accordance with Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026.

The commission also scheduled the submission of nomination forms for governorship and state Houses of Assembly candidates to begin at 9am on July 18 and end at 6pm on August 8.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mohammed Jungudo, confirmed that the party had completed the upload of its National Assembly candidates.

He also confirmed that the names of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates had been submitted but declined to officially identify the running mate.

“We have successfully completed the National Assembly uploads, and everything is going very well. We have concluded the National Assembly uploads. Nothing is left. We have also uploaded the presidential and vice-presidential candidates,” Jungudo said.

“As for the name of the vice-presidential candidate, if the information did not come from the national chairman or me, then it is not official.”

Jungudo said the party would focus next on completing the nomination of governorship and state Assembly candidates before setting up committees to coordinate its campaigns.

“Regarding our preparations, you can see that uploading candidates is one of the major steps in the process. Once we are done with the governorship and state Houses of Assembly, the next step is to await the official date for the commencement of campaigns,” he said.

“Between now and then, we are working on the various committees that will spearhead the campaigns.”

He expressed confidence that the party would perform strongly in the elections, insisting that ongoing legal disputes would not distract its leaders, candidates and supporters.

“We are very much prepared, and not even the legal issues constitute any impediment. Everything is going smoothly, and in no distant time, we will make public the various committees that will lead the campaign and take us to victory,” he added.

Jungudo urged the candidates to work closely with party leaders and stakeholders in their constituencies.

“Our candidates should tighten up. They should remember what the national leader said: nobody gives you power on a platter of gold; you have to fight for it.

“They have to sit up, do everything required of them and cooperate with all party leaders and stakeholders at every level.”

He said the PDP was targeting a majority of seats in the National Assembly and state legislatures, as well as governorship victories in at least two-thirds of the states.

“As for the presidential election, we are keeping our strategy close to our chest. However, I can tell you that our candidates are in high spirits, and I want them to maintain that spirit,” he said.

Addressing party leaders, the APC National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Argungu, described the occasion as the formal presentation of the duly completed nomination forms of the party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

Argungu said Tinubu had earlier emerged as the party’s presidential candidate through its primary election and urged members to remain united ahead of the 2027 poll.

Speaking on behalf of APC governors, Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, reaffirmed their support for Tinubu and the party’s leadership.

“We are delighted that this event is coming after a well-organised and thoroughly supervised primary process. We reiterate our commitment to continue supporting President Tinubu and the party,” he said.

Uzodimma urged party members to close ranks behind all APC candidates, expressing confidence that the party would retain power in the next general election.

Receiving the nomination forms, APC National Chairman Yilwatda said the occasion reflected the confidence of party members in Tinubu’s leadership.

He cited the student loan scheme, infrastructure projects and agricultural interventions as some of the achievements of the administration, expressing confidence that the Tinubu-Shettima ticket would secure another term in office.

“We will all come out and mobilise across the six geopolitical zones. I am sure there will be healthy competition among the governors.

“One geopolitical zone has already told me they will deliver the highest number of votes for Mr President. I will be happy to see such competition among the governors as they mobilise their states so that we can see which state will return the highest number of votes for Mr President,” he stated.

Yilwatda added that the party would campaign on the administration’s record in office, saying Nigerians would reward Tinubu’s achievements with another mandate.

Speaking with journalists after the ceremony, APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, confirmed that the party had retained Tinubu and Shettima as its presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

“The presidential candidate of the party is President Bola Ahmed, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and our vice presidential candidate is the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Kashim Shetima,” he stated.

With the submission of the nomination forms, the APC has formally retained the Tinubu-Shettima ticket for the 2027 presidential election, putting to rest months of speculation over the vice president’s place on the ballot.

In recent weeks, the party leadership has repeatedly assured aspirants of a transparent process, following the adoption of direct primaries and consensus arrangements for the elections.

Mr Ojelabi had also warned party members against violence and anti-party activities during the primaries conducted across the state.

The emergence of Mr Obasa for the Agege Federal Constituency is expected to attract political attention within the party because of his influence in Lagos politics and the state legislature.