2027 Elections: INEC Warns Parties, Rejects Candidates Not Listed in Registers

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned political parties that candidates whose names were not included in the party registers submitted to the commission may be barred from contesting the 2027 elections.

INEC National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Mohammed Haruna, disclosed this while speaking on Trust TV’s Daily Politics programme on Wednesday.

Haruna said the position followed the Supreme Court’s September 24, 2026 judgment, which affirmed the constitutionality of relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and upheld INEC’s revised timetable for the 2027 general elections.

He said affected political parties would also not be allowed to substitute candidates who were found to have emerged from violations of the law, arguing that parties should not benefit from non-compliance with electoral requirements.

“It’s like you committed an offence. And then, you come and benefit from it,” Haruna said, referring to situations where parties attempt to replace candidates whose names were not on their registers.

The INEC commissioner said the issue could affect some political parties’ ability to field candidates for certain elective positions, depending on the outcome of the commission’s ongoing review.

“All the candidates, all the way to the Houses of Assembly, we interviewed them. If their names are not on the party register, they were not members of the party at the time that they contested for those tickets,” he said.

Haruna explained that INEC had delayed making a final pronouncement because it needed legal advice after receiving the Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court judgment.

He said the commission was exercising caution because forged court judgments had previously been presented to electoral authorities. INEC, he added, was expected to make a definite pronouncement on the implications of the judgment by Tuesday next week.

The development could have significant implications for political parties and their candidates as preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections.