By Opeyemi Adelakun
The countdown to the 2027 general elections has triggered fresh political turmoil across Nigeria, with fierce power struggles, legal battles and protests erupting within major political parties following the opening of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal for candidate submissions.
As political parties commenced uploading the names of their candidates, rival factions in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), internal disputes within the All Progressives Congress (APC), and pending legal challenges involving smaller opposition parties have intensified the battle for control of party tickets.
The fresh crisis is centred on INEC’s activation of its candidate nomination portal, with political parties required to submit the names and particulars of their candidates before the July deadline.
The PDP remains the most divided, with the faction recognised by INEC confirming that it has received the commission’s access code and has already begun uploading candidates for the 2027 elections.
Party officials said the exercise was progressing smoothly and would be concluded well before the deadline.
However, the rival faction maintained that it had not received the access code and expressed confidence that ongoing court cases would eventually resolve the leadership dispute in its favour before the submission process closes.
The disagreement follows the Supreme Court judgment that invalidated the party’s previous national convention, resulting in parallel leadership structures that continue to battle for legitimacy.
INEC, however, insisted it would only deal with the leadership recognised by the courts.
Beyond the PDP, internal disagreements have also surfaced in several APC chapters.
In Ondo State, hundreds of women and youths staged protests over the list of candidates released after the party’s primaries, alleging that the names published did not reflect the outcome of the exercise conducted across the state.
The protesters accused some party leaders of attempting to impose candidates and demanded that the original results be respected.
While another group within the APC defended the party’s national leadership, insisting that the review of primary election results was necessary to correct irregularities.
Across several states, political parties confirmed receiving INEC access codes and commenced preparations to upload candidates, although some aspirants remain uncertain due to pending court cases and unresolved internal disputes.
Meanwhile, opposition parties, including the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), are still battling legal and administrative hurdles as they seek full participation in the electoral process.
Leave a Reply