The [Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)](https://www.inecnigeria.org) announced that political parties who think their candidates were mistakenly left out of the final list for the 2027 governorship election must inform the commission by 24 October 2026. This deadline comes after a ruling by the [Supreme Court of Nigeria](https://www.supremecourt.gov.ng) that requires parties to submit membership registers before sponsoring candidates.
The court’s decision overturns a previous Court of Appeal judgment that had nullified Sections 77(5)‑(7) of the [Electoral Act, 2026](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_Act_(Nigeria)), which made the submission of membership registers a prerequisite for valid party primaries.
National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, issued a statement in the early hours of Tuesday, confirming that INEC applied the Supreme Court’s ruling when finalising the governorship candidate list.
> “The Commission, while finalising the list of candidates for the > Governorship election, applied the above decision of the Supreme Court and > excluded political parties that failed to comply with Section 77(5)‑(7) of > the Electoral Act, 2026, in relation to fielding of candidates,” Haruna > said.
The judgment, titled INEC v. Zenith Labour Party (Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026), was delivered on 24 September 2026. It arose from INEC’s appeal against the Court of Appeal’s earlier decision that had nullified the membership‑register requirement.
The Supreme Court held that the provisions are “constitutional and mandatory for all political parties” and upheld Item No. 2 of INEC’s Timetable and Schedule of Activities, which set the window for submitting membership registers between 21 April and 10 May 2026.
According to the commission’s statement, failure to meet the requirements of Section 77(5)‑(7) renders the defaulting parties ineligible to sponsor any candidate for the election.
Haruna added that the commission acted “in accordance with Section 287(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).” He also noted that the final list of Presidential and National Assembly candidates had already been published on 12 September 2026, thirteen days before the Supreme Court delivered its judgment.
**What is the complaint window?**
Under Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, parties that believe their candidates were wrongly omitted have 14 days from the date of publication to notify INEC, making the deadline 24 October 2026.
The commission reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, the rule of law, and the credibility of the electoral process.
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*The information above reflects the latest statements from INEC and the Supreme Court’s ruling as of October 2026.*