INEC Bars Non-Compliant Parties from 2027 Governorship Polls, Cites Supreme Court Ruling

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said political parties that failed to submit their membership registers as required by law are ineligible to sponsor candidates in the 2027 governorship elections, following a recent Supreme Court judgment.

The commission said it applied the Supreme Court’s September 24, 2026, judgment in finalising the list of governorship candidates, excluding political parties that failed to comply with the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.

INEC explained that the Supreme Court, in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026, upheld the constitutionality and mandatory nature of Section 77(5)–(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which requires political parties to submit their membership registers before conducting valid primaries.

The court also upheld Item 2 of INEC’s timetable for the 2027 elections, which stipulated that political parties must submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.

According to the commission, the Supreme Court ruled that political parties that failed to meet the requirement were ineligible to sponsor candidates for the election.

INEC said it relied on Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which requires compliance with decisions of the courts, in applying the judgment while preparing the final list of governorship candidates.

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.

It further disclosed 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.

INEC fixed October 24, 2026, as the deadline for such notifications.

The clarification was contained in a press statement issued by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee.

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