By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it excluded political parties that failed to submit their membership registers as required by law from sponsoring candidates in governorship elections.
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 upheld the constitutionality of Section 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said the Supreme Court affirmed that submission of membership registers was a mandatory requirement for all political parties.
According to the Commission, 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 statement noted that the court ruled that political parties that failed to comply with the requirement would be ineligible to sponsor candidates for elections.
INEC explained that, in compliance with Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, it applied the Supreme Court’s decision while finalizing the list of candidates for governorship elections, excluding parties that failed to meet the statutory requirement.
However, the Commission clarified that the final list of presidential and National Assembly candidates had 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 stated that the deadline for such notifications is October 24, 2026.
The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, the rule of law and the credibility of the electoral process.
