- Commission cites Supreme Court ruling on party membership registers, gives affected parties October 24 deadline to seek redress
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained the exclusion of some candidates from the final list for the 2027 governorship election, citing a Supreme Court judgment that upheld the mandatory submission of political parties’ membership registers before conducting valid primaries.
The commission said the decision followed the Supreme Court judgment in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026, delivered on September 24, 2026, which affirmed the constitutionality of Section 77(5)–(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, October 13, and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, the commission said it applied the apex court’s decision while finalising the list of candidates for the governorship election.
According to INEC, the Supreme Court overturned the earlier position of the Court of Appeal, which had nullified the provisions requiring political parties to submit their membership registers as a prerequisite for conducting valid party primaries.
The commission explained that the apex court upheld the requirement as constitutional and binding on all political parties seeking to sponsor candidates in the election.
It also affirmed the validity of Item 2 of INEC’s Timetable and Schedule of Activities, which required political parties to submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.
INEC said the Supreme Court further ruled that political parties that failed to comply with the statutory requirements would be ineligible to sponsor candidates for the election.
Consequently, the commission said it excluded parties that did not meet the requirements of Section 77(5)–(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, when compiling the final governorship candidates’ list.
The commission maintained that its action was in compliance with Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which requires relevant authorities to enforce decisions of superior courts.
INEC clarified, however, 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 also drew attention to the provisions of Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which allow political parties that believe their candidates were wrongly omitted from the published list to notify the commission within 14 days of publication.
According to INEC, the deadline for such notifications is October 24, 2026.
The commission urged affected political parties to utilise the statutory procedure where they consider their candidates’ exclusion unjustified.
INEC reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, the rule of law and the credibility of the electoral process, stressing that its decisions on candidate eligibility would be guided by the Electoral Act and binding judicial pronouncements.
The clarification comes amid preparations for the 2027 general elections, with compliance with electoral laws and nomination procedures remaining critical to determining which political parties can validly field candidates.
The commission’s position underscores the importance of political parties meeting statutory requirements within prescribed timelines to avoid disqualification from electoral contests.
