The House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to verify the membership records of political parties before accepting candidates for the 2027 general elections.

The committee said candidates whose names are absent from the membership registers submitted by their parties should be disqualified in accordance with the Electoral Act 2026 and the recent judgment of the Supreme Court.

The position was contained in a letter signed by the committee’s chairman, Bayo Balogun, who asked INEC to audit candidates presented by all registered political parties. He said the exercise should establish whether the candidates were listed in the relevant party registers submitted to the commission within the period prescribed by law.

The call followed the Supreme Court’s restoration of Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act. The apex court held that the provisions were not inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution, overturning an earlier Court of Appeal decision that had invalidated them.

Section 77(5) provides that only party members whose names appear in a membership register submitted to INEC at least 21 days before a primary, congress or convention can participate in the exercise. The law also prohibits parties from using a different register for such exercises and bars a party that fails to submit its register within the stipulated period from fielding a candidate.

Balogun recalled that INEC had previously raised concerns about enforcing the provisions amid litigation over their interpretation and application. He said the Supreme Court’s judgment had now removed the uncertainty and cleared the way for implementation.

The committee said enforcing the provisions would help reduce disputes and court cases over the eligibility of candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.