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The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has given political parties 14 days to challenge the omission of their candidates, including former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, from the final list for the 2027 elections.
The commission said affected political parties that believe their candidates were wrongly excluded from the list could formally notify it within the period stipulated by law.
INEC disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee.
The commission fixed October 24, 2026, as the deadline for the notifications, in line with Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The development comes amid concerns over the omission of some candidates, including Pantami, Gwarzo and Adebutu, from the final list of candidates for the forthcoming elections.
Explaining the basis for its decision, INEC cited the Supreme Court judgement in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026, delivered on September 24, 2026.
The commission said the apex court upheld the constitutionality of Section 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which makes the submission of membership registers mandatory for political parties ahead of their primaries.
The Supreme Court also upheld Item 2 of INEC’s timetable and schedule of activities, which required political parties to submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.
According to INEC, the court held that political parties that failed to comply with the statutory requirements were ineligible to sponsor candidates for the election.
The commission said it applied the judgement while finalising the list of governorship candidates, excluding political parties that failed to meet the membership register requirement.
“The Commission, while finalizing 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,” the statement said.
INEC said its action was in compliance with Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which requires the enforcement of decisions of superior courts.
The commission also clarified that the final list of presidential and National Assembly candidates had been published on September 12, 2026, 13 days before the Supreme Court delivered its judgement.
It urged affected political parties to utilise the statutory window to notify it of any alleged wrongful omission before the October 24 deadline.
INEC reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, the rule of law and the credibility of the electoral process.
