The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has given political parties until October 24, 2026, to notify it of candidates allegedly wrongfully omitted from the final list for the 2027 governorship elections.
The commission said the deadline was in accordance with Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which provides a 14-day window for political parties to report omissions following the publication of the candidates’ list.
INEC announced the deadline in a press release dated October 13, 2026, signed by its National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna.
The commission explained that the omission of some candidates from the final governorship list followed the Supreme Court’s judgment in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026, delivered on September 24, 2026.
According to INEC, the Supreme Court 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 party primaries.
The court also upheld 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 were ineligible to sponsor candidates for the election.
The commission explained that, in finalising the list of governorship candidates, it applied the Supreme Court’s decision and excluded parties that failed to meet the membership-register requirements.
It cited Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, as part of the legal framework guiding its compliance with the court’s judgment.
INEC, however, noted 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 assured the public of its commitment to transparency, the rule of law and the credibility of the electoral process.
