S’ Court ruling: INEC gives Oct. 24 deadline for parties to submit omitted candidates
By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has set a deadline of October 24, 2026, for political parties to notify the commission if they believe their candidates were incorrectly excluded from the final list for the 2027 governorship election.
This deadline follows a Supreme Court ruling that prohibits parties that did not submit membership registers from sponsoring candidates. The decision was communicated in a statement by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, early Tuesday morning.
“The Commission applied the Supreme Court’s decision while finalizing the list of candidates for the governorship election, which excluded political parties that failed to comply with Section 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026 regarding candidate nominations,” Haruna stated.
The Supreme Court’s ruling in the case of INEC v. Zenith Labour Party (Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026), delivered on September 24, 2026, reversed a previous Court of Appeal decision that invalidated the requirements for membership registers. The Supreme Court affirmed that these provisions are constitutional and mandatory for all political parties.
Additionally, the Court upheld Item No. 2 of INEC’s Timetable and Schedule of Activities, which mandated that political parties submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026. Haruna emphasized that failure to comply with these provisions renders non-compliant political parties ineligible to sponsor candidates for the election.
He noted that the Commission’s actions are in accordance with Section 287(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended). It is important to highlight that the final list of candidates for the Presidential and National Assembly elections was published on September 12, 2026, thirteen days prior to the Supreme Court’s ruling.
Regarding the process for addressing complaints, Haruna reiterated that under Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, political parties have 14 days from the date of publication to inform the Commission of any grievances concerning candidate listings. The final deadline for such notifications is October 24, 2026.
The Commission reassured the public of its dedication to transparency, the rule of law, and the integrity of the electoral process.
