INEC Opens 2027 Candidates’ Forms for Public Scrutiny
Voters, party members and civil society groups in Lagos will from Saturday get their first official look at the sworn particulars of those hoping to occupy the presidency and the National Assembly after the 2027 polls, as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) throws open Form EC9 for public inspection.
The commission’s Lagos State office said the display begins on August 1, 2026, at its headquarters in the Sabo area of Yaba and at Local Government Area offices across the affected constituencies. In a statement by its Head of Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs. Esther Emeh, INEC said the exercise is carried out under Section 29 of the Electoral Act 2022, which governs how parties nominate candidates and how those nominations are opened to public examination.
Form EC9 is the affidavit each candidate swears before a court. It carries personal particulars, academic records and a declaration that the person meets every constitutional condition for the office being sought. “Form EC9 contains the credentials, personal particulars and affidavits submitted by candidates sponsored by political parties,” the commission said, urging parties, nominees, stakeholders and the public to examine the documents during the window.
The display is one fixed stop on a calendar INEC published in its revised timetable for the 2027 general election. Parties held their primaries between April 23 and May 30, 2026, and uploaded candidates’ forms through the commission’s electronic nomination portal. The law requires INEC to publish those particulars within seven days of receiving them, so that the public can weigh a candidate’s claims well before ballots are printed. The presidential and National Assembly elections are fixed for January 16, 2027, with governorship and state assembly polls following on February 6, 2027. Campaigns for the national races are due to open on August 19, 2026.
INEC noted that anyone who believes a candidate submitted false information or forged documents “may seek legal redress as provided under the Electoral Act.” The mechanics of that redress, however, are narrower than the open invitation suggests. Section 29(5) of the 2022 Act limits the right to sue over false particulars to an aspirant who took part in the same party primary as the candidate in question, and channels such suits to the Federal High Court alone. Courts have applied that limit strictly. In the widely cited matter of Prince Collins Eselemo against Tamarakuro Juliano Obriki, a challenger from a rival party was ruled to lack the standing to contest a nominee’s affidavit. Members of the public may still inspect the forms, apply for certified copies and report concerns, but the power to void a nomination on grounds of false information rests with fellow aspirants.
The scrutiny of candidate documents has become one of the most combustible features of Nigerian elections. Disputes over certificates and sworn declarations trailed the 2023 presidential contest through the courts, and questions of qualification have removed lawmakers in earlier cycles. The 2023 general election was conducted with about 93.4 million registered voters, the largest register in the country’s history, and Lagos remains one of the most closely watched states because of its dense voter population and its standing as the commercial capital.
For now, the exercise places the burden of vigilance on parties and the public. INEC said it remains committed to “transparency, accountability, and the conduct of free, fair and credible elections,” presenting the display as an early checkpoint in a cycle that will not reach the ballot box for another five months.