By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained that the omission of some candidates from the final list for the 2027 governorship elections was based on a recent Supreme Court judgment requiring strict compliance with 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 in the elections.
National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, disclosed this in a press statement issued on Tuesday, October 13, 2026.
Haruna recalled that the Supreme Court, in its judgment delivered on September 24, 2026, in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026, upheld the constitutionality of Section 77(5)–(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The provisions require political parties to submit their membership registers as a prerequisite for conducting valid party primaries.
According to him, the apex court also upheld Item 2 of INEC’s Timetable and Schedule of Activities, which stipulated that political parties must submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.
He added that the court ruled that any political party that failed to comply with the requirements would be ineligible to sponsor candidates for the elections.
Haruna explained that, in compliance with Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, INEC applied the judgment while finalising the list of governorship candidates, resulting in the exclusion of candidates sponsored by non-compliant parties.
He further 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.
The INEC commissioner reminded political parties that Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, allows a party that believes its candidate was wrongly omitted from the list to notify the Commission within 14 days of publication.
He said the deadline for such notifications is October 24, 2026.
Haruna reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to transparency, the rule of law and the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process.
