The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained why prominent politicians, including Isa Pantami and Ladi Adebutu, were excluded from the final list of candidates for the 2027 governorship elections.
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The commission blamed the affected political parties for failing to submit their membership registers within the period prescribed by law.
It said the omissions followed a Supreme Court ruling that upheld the statutory requirements for participation in elections.
Pantami, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Gombe State, was left off the list despite winning a court-ordered rerun of the party's primary election. Adebutu, the PDP candidate in Ogun State, and his running mate were also excluded.
The decision triggered criticism from the Ogun PDP, which alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had influenced the electoral commission.
Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong also called on INEC to maintain its independence and neutrality.
However, INEC maintained that its decision was based on legal requirements rather than political considerations.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, cited a Supreme Court judgment delivered on September 24, 2026.
The judgment, in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026, affirmed the validity of Section 77(5)–(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
These provisions require political parties to submit their membership registers to INEC within an approved timeframe.
The court also upheld the commission's deadline, which required parties to submit the documents between April 21 and May 10, 2026.
According to INEC, the court's decision established that parties which failed to meet the requirement could not field candidates in the affected electoral process.
The commission said it was legally bound to implement the ruling when preparing the final list of governorship candidates.
It also referenced Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which requires relevant authorities to enforce decisions of superior courts.
INEC further explained that the final lists of presidential and National Assembly candidates had been published on September 12, 2026, before the Supreme Court delivered its judgment.
The commission also drew attention to Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which provides a 14-day window for political parties to notify INEC if they believe their candidates were wrongly excluded.
It fixed October 24, 2026, as the deadline for submitting such notifications.
The commission urged political parties to follow the legal procedures available to them, reaffirming its commitment to transparency, the rule of law and credible elections ahead of the 2027 polls.
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