The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has excluded some political parties from sponsoring candidates in the 2027 governorship elections for failing to submit their membership registers as required by law.
The commission said the exclusion followed a Supreme Court ruling affirming that submission of membership registers before party primaries was a mandatory condition for participating in elections under the Electoral Act, 2026.
INEC, in a statement issued on Tuesday by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, said the decision was in compliance with the apex court’s judgement in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026, delivered on September 24, 2026.
The Supreme Court had upheld the constitutionality of Section 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which requires political parties to submit their membership registers to the commission before conducting valid primaries.
The court also affirmed INEC’s timetable requiring parties to submit their registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026, ruling that failure to comply disqualifies defaulting parties from sponsoring candidates in the elections.
“The failure to comply with the provisions of Section 77(5)-(7), renders the defaulting political parties ineligible to sponsor any candidate for the election,” the commission stated, citing the court’s decision.
INEC explained that it applied the ruling while finalising the list of governorship candidates, excluding parties that did not meet the statutory requirement.
The development places the affected political parties in a difficult position as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum, with their ability to field governorship candidates constrained by non-compliance with the law.
The commission, however, clarified 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 said the timing of the court decision was relevant to the different stages of the electoral process and the commission’s handling of the candidates’ lists.
INEC further reminded political parties that believe their candidates were wrongly omitted from the published lists that they have a statutory window to notify the commission of such omissions.
According to the statement, Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, gives affected political parties 14 days from the date of publication to raise complaints, with October 24, 2026, set as the deadline.
The clarification comes amid growing political activity ahead of the 2027 general elections, underscoring the importance of strict compliance with electoral laws and INEC’s timetable by political parties seeking to contest elective offices.
The commission reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, the rule of law and the credibility of the electoral process, stressing that its decisions on candidates’ eligibility would be guided by applicable laws and binding judicial pronouncements.
