INEC gives parties October 24 deadline to challenge omission of 2027 candidates
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has set October 24, 2026, as the deadline for political parties to report alleged errors involving candidates omitted from its final list for the 2027 governorship elections.
The Commission announced the deadline in a statement issued by its National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
INEC said affected parties must notify it within 14 days of the list’s publication, in accordance with Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The clarification follows complaints over the omission of several candidates, including Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidates Oladipupo Adebutu in Ogun State and Isa Ali Pantami in Gombe State.
Also missing from the list was Aminu Gwarzo, the Nigeria Democratic Congress governorship candidate in Kano State.
In Jigawa State, the African Democratic Congress protested the exclusion of its endorsed deputy governorship candidate, Aminu Ringim, and several other candidates.
The affected parties and candidates have called for clarification, while some have indicated plans to seek legal redress.
INEC linked its decision to the Supreme Court judgment delivered on September 24, 2026, in the case of INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026.
According to the commission, the judgment upheld Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which govern political parties’ membership registers and their use in primaries, congresses and conventions.
The commission said the court affirmed that political parties were required to submit their membership registers within the prescribed period and comply with the requirements when selecting candidates for elections.
INEC also said the Supreme Court upheld its timetable requiring parties to submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.
It added that the court ruled that parties that failed to comply with the statutory requirements were ineligible to sponsor candidates for the election.
The commission explained that it applied the judgment when preparing the final list of governorship candidates, excluding parties that failed to meet the membership-register requirements.
INEC said the action was consistent with Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which requires relevant authorities to enforce court decisions.
However, the commission noted that the presidential and National Assembly candidates’ lists had been published on September 12, 2026, before the Supreme Court delivered its judgment.
It reiterated that parties alleging wrongful omission from the governorship candidates’ list must notify the commission by October 24, 2026.
The clarification comes ahead of the February 6, 2027 governorship elections, amid concerns about the judgment’s implications for political parties and their candidates.
INEC reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, the rule of law and the credibility of the electoral process.
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