By Nkechi Eze
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained that some political parties were excluded from sponsoring candidates in the 2027 governorship election for failing to comply with the statutory requirement to submit their membership registers ahead of party primaries.
The Commission said the decision followed a September 24, 2026, Supreme Court judgement affirming the constitutionality and mandatory nature of Section 77(5)–(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which requires political parties to submit their membership registers to INEC.
According to an official statement signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, the Supreme Court ruling in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026, overturned the basis of an earlier Court of Appeal judgement that had nullified the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act.
INEC explained that the Supreme Court upheld the requirement for political parties to submit their membership registers within the period specified in Item 2 of its Timetable and Schedule of Activities, which ran from April 21 to May 10, 2026.
The court also held that political parties that failed to comply with the statutory provisions would be ineligible to sponsor candidates for the election.
The Commission said it applied the Supreme Court’s decision in finalising the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship election, excluding parties that failed to meet the membership register submission requirement.
It added that the action was taken in accordance with Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which requires compliance with decisions of superior courts.
INEC further 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 judgement.
The Commission noted 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 fixed October 24, 2026, as the deadline for such notifications.
INEC reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, the rule of law and the credibility of the electoral process, assuring the public that its actions were guided by the provisions of the law and binding judicial decisions.
