The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has attributed the omission of some candidates from the final list for the 2027 governorship elections to their political parties’ failure to submit membership registers within the period stipulated by law.
The commission said the decision was informed by a Supreme Court judgment delivered on September 24, 2026, which affirmed that political parties must comply with the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026, to qualify to sponsor candidates in the elections.
INEC gave the clarification in a statement issued on Tuesday, October 13, and signed by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee.
According to the commission, the Supreme Court, in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026, upheld Section 77(5)–(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which makes the submission of political parties’ membership registers mandatory.
The court also upheld Item 2 of INEC’s timetable for the elections, which stipulated that political parties were to submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.
INEC said the Supreme Court ruled that political parties that failed to comply with the requirement were ineligible to sponsor candidates for the elections.
The commission explained that it relied on the judgment in preparing the final list of governorship candidates, citing Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which requires compliance with decisions of superior courts.
It further clarified that the final lists of presidential and National Assembly candidates had been published on September 12, 2026, before the Supreme Court delivered its judgment 13 days later.
INEC added that political parties that believe their candidates were wrongly omitted from the list may notify the commission within the period prescribed by Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
It fixed October 24, 2026, as the deadline for submitting such notifications, urging affected parties to act within the stipulated timeframe.
The commission reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, the rule of law and the credibility of the electoral process, stressing the importance of compliance with statutory requirements and judicial decisions in the conduct of elections.
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