The Independent National Electoral Commission has given political parties whose candidates were omitted from its final list for the 2027 governorship elections until October 24 to notify it of the alleged errors.The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained that the omission of some candidates from the final list for the 2027 governorship election followed a Supreme Court judgment requiring strict compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The commission said political parties that failed to submit their membership registers within the stipulated period were ineligible to sponsor candidates for the election.
The INEC stated this in a press statement issued on Tuesday by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna.
According to the commission, the Supreme Court, in its judgment in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026, delivered on September 24, 2026, upheld the constitutionality of Section 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The provisions make the submission of membership registers a mandatory requirement for political parties seeking to conduct valid primaries and nominate candidates for elections.
The apex 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.
The commission said the court further ruled that any political party that failed to comply with the provisions was ineligible to sponsor candidates in the election.
INEC explained that, in finalising the list of governorship candidates, it applied the Supreme Court’s decision in accordance with Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which requires compliance with decisions of the courts.
Consequently, political parties that did not meet the statutory requirement were excluded from sponsoring candidates in the forthcoming governorship election.
The commission, however, clarified 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.
It added that, under Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, political parties that believe their candidates were wrongly omitted from the list have 14 days from the date of publication to notify the commission.
INEC fixed October 24, 2026, as the deadline for such notifications.
The commission reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, the rule of law and the credibility of the electoral process.
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