The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained the omission of some candidates from the final list for the 2027 governorship elections, attributing the decision to political parties’ failure to comply with provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.
In a press release dated October 13, 2026, the commission said it excluded political parties that failed to meet the legal requirements for submitting their membership registers, following a Supreme Court judgment delivered on September 24, 2026.
INEC said the judgment in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026, upheld the constitutionality and mandatory nature of Section 77(5)–(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which requires political parties to submit their membership registers as a prerequisite for conducting valid primaries.
According to the commission, the Supreme Court also upheld Item 2 of INEC’s Timetable and Schedule of Activities, which stipulated that political parties must submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.
The commission explained that the court ruled that political parties that failed to comply with the provisions were ineligible to sponsor candidates for the election.
INEC said it applied the judgment in finalising the list of governorship candidates in accordance with Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
It, however, clarified that the final lists of presidential and National Assembly candidates had already been published on September 12, 2026, 13 days before the Supreme Court delivered its judgment.
The commission further stated that under Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, political parties that believe their candidates were wrongly omitted have 14 days from the date of publication to notify it.
INEC fixed October 24, 2026, as the deadline for such notifications.
The commission reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, the rule of law and the credibility of the electoral process.
The statement was signed by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee.
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