INEC Explains Omission of Some Candidates from 2027 Governorship Election List
By Ali Mohammed Zanna, Maiduguri
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) explained that it excluded some candidates from the final list for the 2027 governorship elections because their political parties failed to comply with the statutory requirement to submit membership registers.
The commission said the decision followed a Supreme Court judgment affirming the constitutionality of provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026, which submit membership registers mandatory for political parties seeking to sponsor candidates in elections.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, INEC said the Supreme Court delivered the judgment 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)–(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which require political parties to submit their membership registers within the stipulated period as a prerequisite for conducting valid party primaries.
INEC said the apex court also upheld its timetable, which required political parties to submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.
The commission explained that the court ruled that political parties that failed to comply with the requirements were ineligible to sponsor candidates in the elections.
Consequently, INEC said it applied the Supreme Court’s decision when finalising the list of governorship candidates, excluding political parties that failed to meet the statutory requirements.
The commission said its action was 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 list of presidential and National Assembly candidates had been published on September 12, 2026, 13 days before the Supreme Court delivered its judgment.
It noted that the timing of the judgment was relevant to the publication of the different categories of candidates.
The commission, however, said political parties that believe their candidates were wrongly omitted from the final list have an opportunity to notify it of the alleged errors.
According to INEC, Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, provides a 14-day window for affected political parties to seek corrections to the list.
It fixed October 24, 2026, as the deadline for submitting such notifications.
The clarification comes amid controversy over the omission of some prominent politicians from the final list of candidates for the 2027 governorship elections.
INEC reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, adherence to the rule of law and the credibility of the electoral process.
