The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained that some candidates were excluded from the final list for the 2027 governorship election because their political parties failed to comply with the mandatory requirement to submit membership registers before conducting party primaries.
In a press statement issued on October 13, 2026, the Commission said the decision followed a Supreme Court judgment delivered on September 24, 2026, in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026.
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 as a prerequisite for conducting valid party primaries.
The court also affirmed the validity of Item 2 of INEC’s timetable, which required political parties to submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.
INEC explained that the Supreme Court further ruled that political parties that failed to meet this requirement would be ineligible to sponsor candidates for the election.
Consequently, the Commission said it applied the court’s decision when finalising the list of governorship candidates, excluding political parties that did not comply with the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act.
The Commission, 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 stated 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.
The deadline for submitting such notifications is October 24, 2026.
The statement was signed by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee.
INEC reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, adherence to the rule of law and the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process.