2027 Governorship Polls: INEC Explains Missing Names, Sets October 24 Deadline for Complaints

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained the omission of some candidates from its final list for the 2027 governorship elections, citing a Supreme Court judgment on compliance with the Electoral Act 2026.

The Commission also announced that political parties whose candidates were omitted from the list have 14 days from the date of publication to notify it of any objection, with the deadline set for October 24, 2026.

The clarification was contained in a press statement issued on October 13, 2026, and signed by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee.

INEC referenced the Supreme Court judgment in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party (Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026), delivered on September 24, 2026.

According to the Commission, the apex court overturned an earlier Court of Appeal judgment that had invalidated Sections 77(5)–(7) of the Electoral Act 2026. The provisions require political parties to submit their membership registers to INEC as a condition for conducting valid party primaries.

The Supreme Court reportedly upheld the constitutionality and mandatory nature of the provisions, including Item 2 of INEC's timetable, which required political parties to submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.

INEC said the court further ruled that political parties that failed to comply with the requirement would be ineligible to sponsor candidates in the elections.

The Commission explained that, in compliance with the judgment and Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, it applied the ruling when finalising the list of governorship candidates, excluding parties that did not meet the statutory requirement.

INEC also clarified that the final lists of candidates for the presidential and National Assembly elections had been published on September 12, 2026, before the Supreme Court delivered its judgment on September 24.

Citing Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, the Commission urged political parties that believe their candidates were wrongly excluded to formally notify it within 14 days of the publication of the relevant list.

The deadline for submitting such complaints is October 24, 2026.

The clarification comes amid concerns over the omission of some governorship candidates from the published list ahead of the 2027 elections. INEC's announcement provides an opportunity for affected political parties to raise objections within the stipulated period.