Political parties eyeing the 2027 General Election have less than a day to submit details of their authorised officials to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), as the electoral agency moves ahead with preparations for the next polls.
In a notice issued on Wednesday, the commission directed the parties to provide the names and specimen signatures of their authorised officials by Thursday, October 15. The documents are to be delivered to Anniversary Towers, South Tower, seventh floor, between 8am and 5pm.
The directive is among the administrative requirements political parties must fulfil under the IEBC’s election timetable as the country prepares for the August 10, 2027 General Election.
The commission has set out several deadlines that parties must observe, with the constitutional requirement for general elections to be held on the second Tuesday of August every fifth year guiding the electoral calendar.
However, the timing of the next election has been challenged in court. The High Court recently ruled that the election should have taken place in August 2026, but the implementation of the decision was suspended to avert a constitutional crisis.
Beyond the submission of officials’ details, parties face another important deadline on October 30, when their nomination rules are expected to have been certified by the Registrar of Political Parties.
The rules will determine how parties identify and select candidates for elective positions. They must comply with the Constitution and electoral laws while setting out clear procedures for nominations.
These procedures must cover competitive primaries, direct nominations or consensus, alongside timelines for the nomination exercise and mechanisms for handling disputes arising within parties.
The IEBC has also set November 6, 2026, as the deadline for political parties to submit their certified nomination rules to the commission.
Parties are required to conduct their nomination exercises using a certified membership register obtained from the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties. The measure is intended to ensure that participation in party nominations is restricted to eligible members.
Nomination rules that have not been certified, or those that fail to meet the legal requirements, cannot be accepted for the purpose of clearing candidates to contest in the election.
Another key milestone falls on February 10, 2027, when public officers seeking elective positions will be required to resign from their government jobs.
The series of deadlines places political parties under pressure to organise their internal processes early and ensure all required documents are submitted within the prescribed periods.
Failure to comply with the electoral requirements could create obstacles for parties seeking to field candidates in the 2027 General Election, making adherence to the IEBC timetable central to their preparations.