INEC Holds Firm on May 30 Primary Deadline for All Parties

ABUJA — The Independent National Electoral Commission has held firm on its May 30, 2026 deadline for all political party primaries. The commission rejected calls from opposition groups to extend the deadline, saying it has a legal obligation to maintain the election timetable.

INEC spokesperson Sam Olumekun made the announcement on Wednesday. He said the commission has provided adequate notice to all parties and that the schedule is fixed. Any party that fails to complete a valid primary by May 30 will not be allowed to field candidates for the affected offices.

“INEC has made its position clear from the beginning. The deadline stands. Parties have had months to prepare. We cannot move the schedule to accommodate those who failed to plan ahead,” Olumekun said.

The deadline applies to presidential, governorship, senatorial, and House of Representatives primaries. Several parties are still scrambling to complete their exercises before the cutoff. The ADC’s ongoing crisis and the PDP’s factional disputes have made their timelines particularly tight.

Parties Under the Gun

The ADC, already weakened by the exit of Obi and Kwankwaso, must now conduct a credible presidential primary within days. Party chairman David Mark has said the ADC will meet the deadline. However, sources within the party say the logistics are extremely challenging.

The Turaki-led PDP faction also faces pressure. Its presidential primary, with Jonathan as the declared sole aspirant, must be formally concluded before May 30. The rival Wike faction is also racing to complete its own parallel primary process.

Furthermore, several smaller parties have not yet notified INEC of their primary dates. The commission warned that it will only recognise primaries conducted in accordance with parties’ constitutions and the Electoral Act. Shortcuts or irregular processes will result in candidate rejection.

Civil Society Warns on Credibility

Civil society groups have called on INEC to enforce quality as well as timeliness. They want the commission to scrutinise primary results carefully before accepting candidate lists. Several parties have already produced disputed or clearly manipulated results from their exercises.

Yiaga Africa, an election monitoring group, said INEC must be vigilant. It said accepting flawed primary results as valid would undermine the integrity of the 2027 elections before campaigns have even begun.

INEC said it has deployed staff to observe party primaries across all states. Reports from its observers will be reviewed as part of the candidate verification process. The commission said it is committed to ensuring that 2027 is Nigeria’s most credible election since the return to democracy in 1999.