The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has given political parties until October 24 to report alleged wrongful omissions from its final list of candidates for the 2027 governorship elections, offering a window for affected politicians, including Isa Ali Pantami and Oladipupo Adebutu, to seek redress.
The commission announced the deadline in a statement on Tuesday by its National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
Pantami, the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate in Gombe State, and Adebutu, the party’s candidate in Ogun State, were among prominent politicians missing from the published list.
Also omitted was the Nigeria Democratic Congress governorship candidate in Kano State, Aminu Gwarzo, while the African Democratic Congress in Jigawa State protested the exclusion of its endorsed deputy governorship candidate, Aminu Ringim, and several other candidates.
INEC 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 list to notify the commission if they believe their candidates were wrongly excluded.
The clarification followed the Supreme Court’s September 24 judgment in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, which upheld the constitutionality of Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The provisions require political parties to submit their membership registers to INEC within the prescribed period and use the registers for their primaries, congresses and conventions.
According to the commission, the Supreme Court also upheld its timetable requiring parties to submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.
INEC said the court ruled that parties that failed to comply with the statutory requirements were ineligible to sponsor candidates for the elections.
The commission explained that it relied on the judgment when preparing the final governorship candidates’ list, excluding parties that did not meet the membership-register requirements.
It said the decision was consistent with Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which requires authorities to enforce court judgments.
INEC noted that the final lists of presidential and National Assembly candidates had been published on September 12, before the Supreme Court delivered its judgment on September 24.
The commission said affected political parties had until October 24 to notify it of alleged errors in the governorship candidates’ list.
The controversy has prompted protests and calls for clarification from some affected parties and candidates, with some threatening legal action to secure their inclusion.
INEC reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, the rule of law and the credibility of the electoral process ahead of the February 6, 2027 governorship elections.
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