The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has given political parties until October 24, 2026, to notify it of any alleged wrongful omission of their governorship candidates from the final list for the forthcoming elections.
The commission, however, maintained that candidates excluded from the list published on October 10 remain excluded, citing non-compliance by their political parties with the statutory requirement to submit membership registers.
Akelicious reports that the decision affects several prominent politicians, including Isa Ali Pantami of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State and Ladi Adebutu of the PDP in Ogun State.
Also missing from the list are Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kano State and Danjuma Laah of the same party in Kaduna State.
In Bauchi State, INEC also excluded the governorship candidates of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Action Alliance (AA) and Accord Party (AP). The affected candidates are Abdullahi Yakubu, Musa Zubairu, Ahmed Shuaibu and Mohammed Aminu, respectively.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, explained that the exclusions were based on the commission’s interpretation of a recent Supreme Court judgement on the submission of political party membership registers.
According to INEC, the Supreme Court, in its September 24, 2026, judgement in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026, upheld the constitutionality of Section 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The provisions require political parties to submit their membership registers before conducting valid primaries, with failure to comply rendering them ineligible to sponsor candidates in the elections.
The commission said the apex court also upheld the relevant provision of its 2027 election timetable, which required parties to submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.
INEC explained that it relied on the Supreme Court’s decision when finalising the governorship candidates’ list, in line with Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which requires authorities to comply with decisions of superior courts.
The electoral body further noted that the final lists of presidential and National Assembly candidates had been published on September 12, 2026, before the Supreme Court delivered its judgement.
It said political parties that believe their candidates were wrongly excluded may formally notify the commission under Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, on or before October 24.
INEC reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, the rule of law and the conduct of credible elections, stressing that political parties must comply with electoral laws and regulations.
The development places the affected parties under pressure to pursue any available legal or administrative remedies before the stipulated deadline, as the commission maintains its position on the excluded candidates.
