ABUJA — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has granted political parties a 14-day window expiring on October 24, 2026, to officially notify the commission of any erroneous omissions from its published list of governorship candidates for the 2027 general elections.
The clarification follows growing political controversy over the exclusion of prominent figures, including former Communications Minister Isa Pantami and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain Ladi Adebutu, from the published candidates’ roster across several states.
Citing statutory provisions under Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, the electoral umpire explained that political parties believing their validly nominated candidates were inadvertently or wrongly excluded have two weeks from the publication date to lodge formal complaints.
The commission noted that recent compliance checks and party register verifications followed the September 24 Supreme Court judgment that restored mandatory statutory requirements regarding political party membership registers and participation in party primaries.
Reassuring political stakeholders and the electorate of its impartiality, INEC affirmed its commitment to due process, transparency, and the rule of law, promising to review all submitted petitions before finalizing the official national ballot structure.
