The Independent National Electoral Commission has set October 24, 2026, as the deadline for political parties to report the alleged wrongful exclusion of their candidates from the final list for the 2027 governorship elections.
The commission said the deadline was in accordance with Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which allows political parties 14 days from the publication of the candidates’ list to notify INEC of any errors.
The development follows the exclusion of several prominent politicians, including the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidates in Ogun and Gombe states, Oladipupo Adebutu and Isa Ali Pantami.
Also missing from the list is the Nigeria Democratic Congress governorship candidate in Kano State, Aminu Gwarzo.
The African Democratic Congress in Jigawa State has also protested the omission of its endorsed deputy governorship candidate, Aminu Ringim, alongside several other candidates.
The exclusions have sparked protests and demands for clarification from affected political parties, with some threatening legal action to secure their candidates’ inclusion.
INEC’s position was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by its National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
In the statement titled, “Clarification on the Omission of Some Candidates from the Final List for the 2027 Governorship Election,” the commission explained that the omissions followed a recent Supreme Court judgment on political party membership registers and candidate nominations.
The court, in its September 24, 2026, judgment in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, upheld the constitutionality of Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The provisions require political parties to submit their membership registers to INEC within the stipulated period and use the registers for their primaries, congresses and conventions.
According to the commission, the Supreme Court also affirmed the timetable requiring parties to submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.
INEC said the court held that political parties that failed to comply with the statutory requirements were ineligible to sponsor candidates in the elections.
“The Supreme Court, in the aforementioned judgment, held that the provisions of Section 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026 are constitutional and mandatory for all political parties,” the statement read.
The commission added that it applied the judgment when preparing the final list of governorship candidates, excluding parties that did not meet the membership-register requirements.
It said the decision was also consistent with Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which requires authorities to enorce court judgments.
INEC, however, 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.
It urged affected political parties to notify it of any alleged errors concerning the governorship candidates’ list before the October 24 deadline.
“Under Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, political parties that believe their candidates were wrongly left off the list have 14 days from the date of publication to notify the commission. The deadline is 24th October, 2026,” INEC stated.
The clarification comes ahead of the February 6, 2027 governorship elections, amid concerns over the implications of the court ruling for affected political parties and their candidates.
The commission reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, adherence to the rule of law and the credibility of the electoral process.
