By Emmanuella Opara | October 14th 2026
KEY POINTS
- -INEC has set October 24 as the deadline for political parties to report alleged wrongful omissions from the final list of 2027 governorship candidates.
- -PDP governorship candidates Oladipupo Adebutu of Ogun and Isa Ali Pantami of Gombe are among those missing from the list.
- -The Supreme Court ruled on September 24 that political parties must comply with the Electoral Act’s membership register requirements.
- -INEC said parties that failed to submit their registers within the stipulated period were ineligible to sponsor candidates.
MAIN STORY
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has given political parties until October 24 to notify it of alleged errors involving the omission of their candidates from the final list for the 2027 governorship elections.
The commission said the deadline was based on Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which allows political parties 14 days from the publication of the list to report candidates they believe were wrongly excluded.
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.
Among those omitted from the list are the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidates in Ogun and Gombe states, Oladipupo Adebutu and Isa Ali Pantami, respectively.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress candidate in Kano State, Aminu Gwarzo, was also missing. In Jigawa State, the African Democratic Congress protested the omission of its endorsed deputy governorship candidate, Aminu Ringim, and several other candidates.
The omissions have prompted protests and demands for clarification from affected parties and candidates, with some threatening legal action to secure their inclusion.
INEC linked its decision to the Supreme Court’s September 24 judgment in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, appeal number SC/CV/495/2026. The court upheld the constitutionality of Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which govern political party membership registers and their use in primaries, congresses and conventions.
The commission said the judgment followed its appeal against an earlier Court of Appeal decision that had nullified the disputed provisions.
According to INEC, the Supreme Court also upheld the commission’s timetable requiring political parties to submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.
The court further ruled that parties that failed to comply with the requirements were ineligible to sponsor candidates for the election.
INEC said it applied the ruling when compiling the final governorship candidates’ list, excluding parties that did not meet the membership register requirements. It cited Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which requires authorities to enforce court decisions.
The commission also noted that the final lists of presidential and National Assembly candidates had been published on September 12, 2026, before the Supreme Court delivered its judgment.
It maintained that political parties seeking corrections to the governorship list must notify the commission by October 24.
INEC said it remained committed to transparency, the rule of law and the credibility of the electoral process ahead of the February 6, 2027 governorship elections.
THE ISSUES
The omissions have raised concerns among affected political parties over their participation in the 2027 elections. INEC’s position is that compliance with the Electoral Act’s membership register provisions is mandatory and that the Supreme Court’s ruling must be enforced.
The October 24 deadline gives parties that believe their candidates were wrongly excluded an opportunity to formally notify the commission. However, the outcome will depend on the grounds for each complaint and the applicable legal requirements.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“The general public is aware of the recent decision of the Supreme Court in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026 delivered on 24th September, 2026,” the Independent National Electoral Commission said.
“However, the Supreme Court, in the aforementioned judgment, held that the provisions of Section 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026 are constitutional and mandatory for all political parties,” the commission stated.
“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,” INEC said.
“Under Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, 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,” the commission added.
WHAT’S NEXT
Affected political parties have until October 24 to notify INEC of alleged errors in the governorship candidates’ list. The commission’s response to any submissions will determine whether the complaints lead to corrections or further disputes.
BOTTOM LINE
INEC has set October 24 as the deadline for parties to challenge the omission of candidates from the 2027 governorship list, while maintaining that its exclusions were based on the Supreme Court’s ruling on compliance with electoral law.
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