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INEC EXPLAINS WHY SOME CANDIDATES WERE OMITTED FROM ITS LIST

October 14, 2026 • Dons Eze • 2 min read

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has clarified that some candidates were omitted from the final list for the 2027 governorship elections because their political parties failed to submit membership registers as required by law.

The commission said the decision followed a September 24, 2026, Supreme Court judgment affirming that political parties must comply with the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026, to qualify to sponsor candidates in the elections.

INEC gave the clarification in a press statement on Tuesday, October 13, signed by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee.

The commission explained that the Supreme Court, in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026, upheld Section 77(5)–(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which makes the submission of party membership registers mandatory.

It said the court also upheld Item 2 of INEC’s timetable for the elections, which required political parties to submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.

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

The commission said it relied on the judgment when preparing the final list of governorship candidates, in line with Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which requires compliance with decisions of superior courts.

INEC further clarified that the final lists of presidential and National Assembly candidates had been published on September 12, 2026, before the Supreme Court delivered its judgment 13 days later.

It added that political parties that believe their candidates were wrongly omitted from the list may notify the commission within the period provided under Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026.

INEC stated that October 24, 2026, is the deadline for such notifications.

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

Dons Eze

DONS EZE, PhD, Political Philosopher and Journalist of over four decades standing, worked in several newspaper houses across the country, and rose to the positions of Editor and General Manager. A UNESCO Fellow in Journalism, Dr. Dons Eze, a prolific writer and author of many books, attended several courses on Journalism and Communication in both Nigeria and overseas, including a Postgraduate Course on Journalism at Warsaw, Poland; Strategic Communication and Practical Communication Approach at RIPA International, London, the United Kingdom, among others.