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 ruling that political parties that failed to submit their membership registers cannot sponsor candidates for elections.
The Commission said the decision was in compliance with the Supreme Court judgement in *INEC v. Zenith Labour Party*, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026, delivered on September 24, 2026.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, the Commission said the apex court upheld the constitutionality of Sections 77(5)–(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which make the submission of membership registers a mandatory requirement for political parties.
It said the court also affirmed the validity of Item Two of INEC’s timetable and schedule of activities, which required political parties to submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.
According to the Commission, the Supreme Court ruled that any political party that failed to comply with the requirement would be ineligible to sponsor candidates for the election.
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INEC explained that it applied the judgement when preparing the final list of governorship candidates, excluding political parties that did not meet the statutory requirement.
The Commission, however, noted that the final lists of presidential and National Assembly candidates had been published on September 12, 2026, 13 days before the Supreme Court delivered its judgement.
It added that political parties that believe their candidates were wrongly omitted from the list have 14 days from the date of publication to notify the Commission, in line with Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
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.
