The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained that some candidates were excluded from the final list for the 2027 governorship elections because their political parties failed to submit membership registers within the period prescribed by law.
The clarification follows reactions from affected parties and candidates over the publication of the final list, which omitted prominent aspirants, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidates in Gombe and Ogun states, Isa Pantami and Ladi Adebutu, respectively.
Pantami’s name was missing despite his victory in a court-ordered rerun of the PDP governorship primary in Gombe. Adebutu and his running mate were also excluded from the list.
Following the development, the Ogun State PDP accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of exerting pressure on INEC, while human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong urged the commission to demonstrate its impartiality.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said the exclusions followed the Supreme Court’s September 24, 2026, judgment in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026.
According to the commission, the judgment upheld the constitutionality of Section 77(5)–(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which requires political parties to submit their membership registers to INEC within the stipulated period.
The court also upheld the commission’s timetable requiring parties to submit their registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.
INEC said the Supreme Court ruled that political parties that failed to comply with the requirements were ineligible to sponsor candidates in the elections.
The commission explained that it applied the judgment when finalising the governorship candidates’ list, in accordance with Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which requires compliance with decisions of superior courts.
INEC 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 judgment on September 24.
The commission added that Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, allows political parties that believe their candidates were wrongly omitted from the published list to notify INEC within 14 days of publication.
It fixed October 24, 2026, as the deadline for submitting such notifications.
INEC reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, adherence to the rule of law and the credibility of the electoral process.
