The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained the omission of some governorship candidates from its final list for the 2027 elections, citing a Supreme Court judgment on compliance with electoral laws.
The commission has also given political parties until October 24, 2026, to notify it of any candidates they believe were wrongly excluded from the published list.
INEC disclosed this in a statement by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna.
According to the commission, the omissions followed a Supreme Court judgment delivered on September 24, 2026, in the case of INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026.
The judgment upheld the provisions of Section 77, subsections five to seven, of the Electoral Act 2026, which require political parties to submit their membership registers to INEC between April 21 and May 10, 2026.
INEC said political parties that failed to comply with the requirement were ineligible to sponsor candidates for the elections.
The commission explained that the final lists of presidential and National Assembly candidates had already been published on September 12, before the Supreme Court delivered its judgment.
It said the ruling subsequently affected the eligibility of some candidates on the governorship lists.
INEC urged political parties that believe their candidates were wrongly omitted to submit formal notifications to the commission within 14 days of the publication of the lists.
The deadline for such complaints is October 24, 2026.
The commission reiterated the importance of compliance with electoral laws and urged political parties to follow the prescribed procedures for candidate nomination ahead of the 2027 general elections.