The Independent National Electoral Commission has given political parties whose candidates were omitted from its final list for the 2027 governorship elections until October 24 to notify it of alleged errors and seek corrections.
The commission said the deadline was in accordance with Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which allows political parties 14 days from the publication of the candidates’ list to report any wrongful exclusion.
The directive offers a window for affected politicians, including the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidates in Gombe and Ogun states, Isa Ali Pantami and Oladipupo Adebutu, respectively, to seek redress over their exclusion.
Also missing from the list was the Nigeria Democratic Congress governorship candidate in Kano State, Aminu Gwarzo.
The African Democratic Congress in Jigawa State had equally protested the omission of its endorsed deputy governorship candidate, Aminu Ringim, alongside several other candidates.
The exclusions have sparked protests and demands for clarification from affected parties and politicians, some of whom have threatened legal action to secure their inclusion.
INEC announced the deadline in a statement issued on Tuesday by its National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
Titled, “Clarification on the Omission of Some Candidates from the Final List for the 2027 Governorship Election,” the statement linked the controversy to the Supreme Court’s September 24 judgment in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026.
The commission said the apex court had upheld the constitutionality of Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which govern political parties’ membership registers and their use in primaries, congresses and conventions.
According to INEC, the Supreme Court overturned the legal basis for challenging the disputed provisions by holding that the requirements were constitutional and mandatory for all political parties.
The provisions require parties to submit their membership registers to the commission within the prescribed period and use the registers in conducting their internal nomination processes.
INEC said the court also upheld Item 2 of its timetable and schedule of activities, which required political parties to submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.
It added that the judgment established that parties which failed to comply with the statutory requirements were ineligible to sponsor candidates for the elections.
“Furthermore, the court held that failure to comply with the provisions of Section 77(5)-(7) renders the defaulting political parties ineligible to sponsor any candidate for the election,” the commission stated.
INEC explained that it applied the judgment when preparing the final list of governorship candidates, excluding parties that did not meet the membership-register requirements.
It said its action was also guided by Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which requires authorities to enforce decisions of the courts.
The commission, however, distinguished the governorship candidates’ list from the final lists for presidential and National Assembly elections, which were published on September 12, 2026, before the Supreme Court delivered its judgment.
It reiterated that political parties seeking corrections to the governorship candidates’ list must notify it within the statutory 14-day period, which expires on October 24.
The controversy comes ahead of the February 6, 2027 governorship elections and raises questions about the eligibility of affected parties and the options available to candidates seeking to challenge their exclusion.
INEC assured Nigerians of its commitment to transparency, the rule of law and the credibility of the electoral process.
