INEC Sets 14-Day Appeal Period for Excluded Candidates

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that political parties whose governorship candidates were excluded from the final list for the 2027 election have 14 days to appeal the decision. The deadline for submitting complaints is October 24, 2026.

This clarification was issued by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, on October 13, 2026. The exclusions include candidates such as Isa Ali Pantami from Gombe State and Ladi Adebutu from Ogun State.

The action was based on a Supreme Court judgment delivered on September 24, 2026, which upheld the constitutionality of Section 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, mandating the submission of political parties' membership registers for valid party primaries. The Supreme Court ruled that parties failing to comply are ineligible to sponsor candidates.

INEC stated that it applied this ruling when finalizing the candidates' list, which was affected by the Supreme Court's decision.