The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has directed political parties to report cases of candidates allegedly omitted from the final list for the 2027 governorship elections on or before October 24, 2026.
Drivetvnews gathered that the deadline follows a Supreme Court judgment declaring political parties that fail to submit their membership registers within the stipulated period ineligible to sponsor candidates in elections.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday. He explained that the commission relied on the court’s decision when preparing the final list of governorship candidates.
Haruna said INEC excluded political parties that failed to comply with Section 77(5)–(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which sets out requirements for parties fielding candidates.
The Supreme Court delivered its judgment on September 24, 2026, in the case of INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026.
The ruling overturned an earlier Court of Appeal decision that had nullified provisions of the Electoral Act requiring political parties to submit their membership registers before conducting valid primaries.
The apex court held that Section 77(5)–(7) of the Electoral Act was constitutional and mandatory for all political parties. It also upheld INEC’s timetable requiring parties to submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.
According to the commission, failure to meet these requirements renders a political party ineligible to sponsor candidates in the election.
Haruna added that INEC acted in accordance with Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which requires compliance with court decisions.
The commission also explained that the final list of presidential and National Assembly candidates had been published on September 12, 2026, before the Supreme Court delivered its judgment on September 24.
However, Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, allows political parties that believe their candidates were wrongly omitted from a published list to notify INEC within 14 days of publication.
INEC therefore set October 24, 2026, as the deadline for political parties to report such omissions, reaffirming its commitment to transparency, the rule of law and the credibility of the electoral process.
