The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has given political parties until October 24, 2026, to notify it of candidates they believe were wrongly omitted from the final list for the 2027 governorship elections.
The commission on Tuesday said the deadline followed the Supreme Court’s ruling affirming the mandatory requirement for political parties to submit their membership registers before conducting valid primaries.
INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said the commission applied the court’s decision when preparing the final list of governorship candidates.
The Supreme Court, in its judgment delivered on September 24, 2026, in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026, upheld the constitutionality of Section 77(5)–(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The provisions require political parties to submit their membership registers to INEC as a prerequisite for valid party primaries.
According to Haruna, the court also upheld Item 2 of the commission’s timetable, which required parties to submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.
He said the court ruled that parties that failed to comply with the provisions were ineligible to sponsor candidates in the election.
“While finalising the list of candidates for the governorship election, the Commission applied the above decision of the Supreme Court and excluded political parties that failed to comply with Section 77(5)–(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, in relation to fielding of candidates,” the statement said.
INEC explained that the final list 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 cited Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which provides a 14-day window for political parties to notify it of candidates they believe were wrongly omitted from the list.
The commission reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, the rule of law and the credibility of the electoral process.
