2027: INEC blames parties for missing governorship candidates
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has attributed the omission of some candidates from the final list for the 2027 governorship elections to the failure of their political parties to submit membership registers within the period prescribed by law.
The commission’s explanation follows complaints from opposition parties after the publication of the final list, which excluded prominent candidates, including the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) Isa Pantami in Gombe State and Ladi Adebutu in Ogun State.
Pantami had emerged victorious in a court-ordered rerun of the PDP governorship primary in Gombe, while Adebutu and his running mate were omitted from the Ogun list.
The Ogun PDP subsequently accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of influencing the commission’s decision, while human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong urged INEC to demonstrate impartiality.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said the commission acted in compliance with a Supreme Court judgment delivered on September 24, 2026.
The judgment, in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026, upheld the constitutionality of Sections 77(5) to 77(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, requiring political parties to submit their membership registers within the stipulated period.
INEC explained that the Supreme Court also upheld its timetable directing political parties to submit their registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.
According to the commission, parties that failed to comply with the requirements were ineligible to sponsor candidates for the elections.
INEC said it applied the judgment in finalising the governorship candidates’ list, citing Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which requires compliance with Supreme Court decisions.
The commission noted that the final lists of presidential and National Assembly candidates were published on September 12, before the Supreme Court delivered its judgment.
It further explained that Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, allows political parties whose candidates were allegedly omitted in error to notify the commission within 14 days of publication.
INEC consequently fixed October 24, 2026, as the deadline for affected political parties to submit their complaints.
The electoral body reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, the rule of law and credible elections, insisting that its decisions were guided by existing legal requirements.