2027 Twist: Wike-Backed PDP Insists It Beat INEC Deadline, Uploaded Candidates

The faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed reports claiming it failed to meet the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deadline for submitting its presidential and vice-presidential candidates for the 2027 general election.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The faction maintained that it successfully uploaded the names and particulars of its presidential and vice-presidential candidates to INEC’s nomination portal at exactly 11:50 a.m. on Thursday, July 10, 2026, in full compliance with the commission’s guidelines.

The clarification was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed.

The response follows reports alleging that the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the Wike-backed PDP faction and the Labour Party (LP) faction led by Nenadi Usman failed to submit their presidential and vice-presidential candidates before the INEC portal closed at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday.

Reacting to the reports, Mohammed described the claims as false and misleading, insisting that the party completed the nomination process well within the stipulated timeframe.

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) successfully uploaded the names and particulars of its Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates to the INEC nomination portal at exactly 11:50 a.m. on Thursday, July 10, 2026, in full compliance with the Commission’s requirements and within the stipulated timeline,” the statement read.

The faction argued that the report created the erroneous impression that it had failed to comply with a critical electoral requirement ahead of the 2027 polls.

It also expressed concern that the publication was based on unverified information, stressing that the party was not contacted for confirmation before the report was published.

According to the statement, matters relating to compliance with electoral procedures should be reported accurately to avoid misleading the public.

The Wike-backed PDP reaffirmed its commitment to complying with the provisions of the Electoral Act and INEC’s nomination guidelines and urged Nigerians to disregard reports suggesting it failed to submit its presidential ticket before the deadline.

The faction also called for a correction of the publication, describing such a step as necessary in the interest of fairness, accuracy and professional journalism.