The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has given political parties 14 days to report any candidate wrongly left off the final list for the 2027 governorship election.
In a press release signed by National Commissioner Mohammed Kudu Haruna, the Commission said the deadline is October 24, 2026.
INEC explained that the omission of some candidates followed the Supreme Court judgment in the case of INEC v. Zenith Labour Party on September 24, 2026.
The Commission said the Supreme Court held that the provisions of Section 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026 are constitutional and must be followed by all political parties. The Court also upheld Item No. 2 of INEC’s Timetable and Schedule of Activities, which required parties to submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.
The Court ruled that any party that fails to obey Section 77(5)-(7) cannot sponsor any candidate for the election.
Following this, INEC said it applied the Supreme Court’s decision while putting together the final list of governorship candidates. This meant that political parties that did not comply were left out.
The Commission also noted that the final list of Presidential and National Assembly candidates had already been published on September 12, 2026, thirteen days before the Supreme Court gave its judgment.
INEC stated that under Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, any political party that believes its candidates were wrongly left off the list has 14 days from the date of publication to notify the Commission.
The Commission assured the public of its commitment to transparency, the rule of law, and the credibility of the electoral process.
