INEC Explains Omission of Some Candidates from 2027 Governorship Election List

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained the omission of some candidates from the final list of candidates for the 2027 governorship elections, citing a Supreme Court ruling that makes the submission of membership registers mandatory for political parties.

In a press statement issued on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, 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.

According to INEC, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of Section 77(5)–(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which requires political parties to submit their membership registers before conducting valid party primaries.

The Commission explained that the court also affirmed Item 2 of its timetable and schedule of activities, which required political parties to submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.

INEC stated that the Supreme Court further ruled that political parties that failed to comply with the statutory requirement would be ineligible to sponsor candidates for the election.

Consequently, the Commission said it applied the court’s decision in preparing the final list of governorship candidates, excluding political parties that failed to meet the membership register submission requirements.

The electoral umpire, however, clarified 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.

INEC further disclosed 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.

It stated that the deadline for submitting such notifications is October 24, 2026.

The statement, signed by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to transparency, the rule of law and the credibility of the electoral process.