The IEBC requires parties to submit authorised officials’ details by October 15.
Political parties must submit authorised officials’ names and specimen signatures by October 15 as the IEBC advances preparations for the 2027 election.
The IEBC submission deadline gives political parties until Thursday, October 15, to file their authorised officials’ details. Parties planning to field candidates in the 2027 General Election must submit names and specimen signatures.
In a notice issued on Wednesday, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission directed parties to deliver the documents physically. Its designated offices are on the seventh floor of Anniversary Towers, South Tower, with submission hours running from 8am to 5pm.
The requirement forms part of the commission’s administrative preparations for the next General Election. Meanwhile, political parties are organising leadership structures and developing procedures to select their candidates.
IEBC submission deadline precedes nomination requirements
Beyond Thursday’s filing, the electoral timetable includes further deadlines for parties preparing to contest the polls. The IEBC published the schedule on August 25.
Under that timetable, parties must secure certification of their nomination rules from the Registrar of Political Parties by October 30. They must then submit the certified rules to the commission by November 6, 2026.
These rules govern how parties choose candidates for elective positions. They must also meet constitutional and statutory requirements before candidates can secure clearance to contest.
Rules must explain candidate selection and dispute handling
Parties must specify whether they will select candidates through competitive primaries, direct nominations or consensus. In addition, their rules must set nomination timelines and explain how they will resolve disputes arising from the process.
The requirements also extend to the membership records that parties use during nominations. Each party must use a certified membership register obtained from the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties.
This measure aims to ensure that only eligible party members participate in choosing candidates. Failure to meet the requirements could therefore complicate a party’s election preparations.
Election date dispute and public service exit deadline
The Constitution places general elections on the second Tuesday of August every five years. However, a recent High Court ruling that the election should take place in August 2026 has raised a legal dispute over the 2027 date.
Implementation of that decision was suspended to avert a constitutional crisis. Meanwhile, the IEBC timetable sets a separate deadline for public officers seeking elective seats in the 2027 General Election.
Those officers must resign from their government positions by February 10, 2027. The date marks the required exit point for public servants planning to move into elective politics.
