The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained why some candidates were left off the final list for the 2027 governorship election, citing a recent Supreme Court judgment that upheld strict requirements for political parties to submit membership registers.
In a press statement issued on 13 October 2026, the commission said it applied the Supreme Court’s decision in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party (Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026), delivered on 24 September 2026. The apex court overturned an earlier Court of Appeal ruling and affirmed that Sections 77(5)–(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, are constitutional and mandatory.
Those provisions require political parties to submit their membership registers as a condition for conducting valid primaries. The Supreme Court specifically upheld Item No. 2 of INEC’s timetable, which directed parties to submit the registers between 21 April and 10 May 2026. Failure to comply, the court held, renders a party ineligible to sponsor any candidate.
Acting under Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), INEC said it excluded non-compliant parties when finalising the governorship candidates list. The final lists of presidential and National Assembly candidates had already been published on 12 September 2026 — 13 days before the Supreme Court judgment — and were therefore unaffected.
Under Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, any political party that believes its candidates were wrongly omitted has 14 days from the date of publication to notify the commission. The deadline for such notifications is 24 October 2026.
“The Commission assures the public of its commitment to transparency, the rule of law and the credibility of the electoral process,” the statement said.
The clarification was signed by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee.