INEC explains omission of candidates from 2027 governorship list

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has attributed the omission of some candidates from the final list for the 2027 governorship election to political parties’ failure to comply with provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.

The commission said its action followed a Supreme Court judgment delivered on September 24, 2026, in *INEC v. Zenith Labour Party*, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026.

In a statement issued on October 13, 2026, the National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said the commission acted in accordance with the court’s decision.

INEC said the case arose from its appeal against a Court of Appeal judgment that nullified Section 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which requires political parties to submit their membership registers as a condition for valid party primaries.

According to the commission, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality and mandatory nature of the provisions, as well as Item 2 of its timetable, which required political parties to submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.

The court also held that parties that failed to comply with the provisions were ineligible to sponsor candidates in the election, INEC said.

The commission explained that, pursuant to Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, it applied the Supreme Court judgment when finalising the list of governorship candidates, excluding parties that failed to meet the requirements of Section 77(5)-(7).

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INEC noted that the final list of presidential and National Assembly candidates had been published on September 12, 2026, 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 have 14 days from the date of publication to notify the commission.

The deadline for submitting such notifications is October 24, 2026, it said.

INEC reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, the rule of law and the credibility of the electoral process.