The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has given political parties until October 24 to challenge the omission of their candidates from the final list for the 2027 governorship elections, offering a window for parties affected by the controversy to seek corrections.
Among the candidates missing from the list are Isa Ali Pantami of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State and Oladipupo Adebutu, the party’s candidate in Ogun State.
Also omitted was the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate in Kano State, Aminu Gwarzo, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Jigawa State protested the exclusion of its endorsed deputy governorship candidate, Aminu Ringim, and other candidates.
INEC announced the deadline in a statement on Tuesday by its National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
The commission said the October 24 deadline was in line with Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which allows political parties 14 days from the publication of the candidates’ list to notify it of alleged errors or wrongful exclusions.
The controversy followed a September 24 Supreme Court judgment in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, which upheld the constitutionality of provisions requiring political parties to submit their membership registers within the prescribed period.
INEC said the court upheld Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act, which govern the submission of membership registers and their use for party primaries, congresses and conventions.
According to the commission, the court also affirmed its timetable requiring parties to submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.
It said parties that failed to meet the requirements were ineligible to sponsor candidates in the elections.
INEC explained that it applied the Supreme Court’s ruling while preparing the final governorship candidates’ list, excluding parties that did not comply with the membership-register provisions.
The commission said its action was guided by Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which requires authorities to enforce court decisions.
It added that the presidential and National Assembly candidates’ lists had been published on September 12, before the Supreme Court delivered its judgment.
“Political parties that believe their candidates were wrongly left off the list have 14 days from the date of publication to notify the commission. The deadline is 24th October, 2026,” INEC stated.
The clarification comes amid protests and calls for explanations from affected parties over the exclusion of their candidates ahead of the February 6, 2027 governorship elections.
INEC reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, the rule of law and the credibility of the electoral process.
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