INEC Gives Parties October 24 Deadline To Challenge Omission Of Governorship Candidates

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has given political events till October 24 to inform it of any complaints over the omission of their governorship candidates from the ultimate checklist for the 2027 elections.

The fee mentioned the deadline was consistent with Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which requires political events that consider their candidates had been wrongly omitted from the checklist to inform the fee inside 14 days of publication.

INEC disclosed this in a press release issued on Tuesday by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee.

The fee defined that the omission of some candidates adopted a Supreme Court judgment affirming the constitutional validity of provisions requiring political events to submit their membership registers earlier than conducting legitimate primaries.

The Supreme Court, in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026, delivered on (*24*) 24, 2026, upheld Section 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026.

According to INEC, the courtroom additionally upheld Item 2 of its timetable and schedule of actions, which required political events to submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.

The fee mentioned the apex courtroom dominated that compliance with the provisions was obligatory and that political events that did not submit their membership registers had been ineligible to sponsor candidates within the elections.

INEC mentioned it utilized the judgment whereas finalising the checklist of candidates for the governorship elections, excluding political events that did not adjust to the statutory necessities.

It added that the ultimate lists of presidential and National Assembly candidates had been printed on (*24*) 12, 2026, 13 days earlier than the Supreme Court delivered its judgment.

The fee mentioned the sooner publication of the federal election candidates’ lists preceded the courtroom’s resolution, whereas the governorship candidates’ checklist was finalised in accordance with the judgment.

INEC cited Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which requires the enforcement of selections of superior courts, as the premise for making use of the Supreme Court’s ruling.

The fee assured Nigerians of its dedication to transparency, the rule of legislation and the credibility of the electoral course of.