The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned that political parties that failed to comply with provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 may be barred from fielding candidates in the 2027 general elections.
INEC National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Mohammed Haruna, disclosed this while speaking on Trust TV’s Daily Politics programme on Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
Haruna explained that under the Supreme Court’s recent judgment, political parties are required to use the membership registers submitted to INEC when conducting their primaries, congresses and conventions. Candidates whose names were not contained in the relevant registers may therefore be affected by the ruling.
He also said affected political parties would not be allowed to simply substitute such candidates in order to avoid the consequences of their failure to comply with the law. According to him, allowing substitution would amount to permitting a party to benefit from an offence it had committed.
The Supreme Court, in its September 24 judgment, restored Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026 after overturning an earlier Court of Appeal decision that had declared the provisions unconstitutional. The provisions deal with party membership registers and the process of nominating candidates.
Haruna said the commission was still reviewing the Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court judgment and would make a definitive pronouncement on its full implications by Tuesday next week. He noted that the outcome could affect parties and candidates at various levels, including governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly elections.
He stressed that the commission was being cautious because it needed legal advice and had to authenticate the judgment before taking action. INEC had received the certified copy on October 6 and said it was reviewing the document following complaints and enquiries from political parties, aspirants and members of the National Assembly.
The development has generated concern among political parties and aspirants ahead of the 2027 elections, particularly those whose nominations may not have complied with the membership-register requirements.
