The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained that it omitted some candidates from the final list for the 2027 governorship elections because their political parties failed to submit membership registers as required by law.
The clarification comes amid reactions from affected parties and candidates following the publication of the final list, which excluded prominent aspirants, including the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) governorship candidates in Gombe and Ogun states, Isa Pantami and Ladi Adebutu, respectively.
Pantami’s omission came after he won a court-ordered rerun of the PDP governorship primary in Gombe, while Adebutu’s name and that of his running mate were also missing from the list. The Ogun PDP subsequently accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of mounting pressure on INEC, while human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong called on the commission to demonstrate its impartiality.
In a statement on Tuesday signed by INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, INEC said the omissions followed the Supreme Court’s September 24, 2026, judgment in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026, which upheld the constitutionality of Section 77(5)–(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The provisions require political parties to submit their membership registers to the commission within the stipulated period. The court also upheld INEC’s timetable requiring parties to submit the registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.
According to the commission, the Supreme Court held that parties that failed to comply with the requirements were ineligible to sponsor candidates in the elections.
INEC said it applied the judgment in finalising the governorship candidates’ list in accordance with Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
The commission noted that the final lists of presidential and National Assembly candidates had been published on September 12, 2026, 13 days before the Supreme Court delivered its judgment.
It added that, under Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, political parties that believe their candidates were wrongly omitted have 14 days from the date of publication to notify the commission.
INEC fixed October 24, 2026, as the deadline for such notifications.
The commission reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, the rule of law and the credibility of the electoral process.
