INEC: Parties in breach of register rules risk losing 2027 candidates
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned political parties that field candidates whose names were not contained in the party registers submitted to the commission that such candidates will not be allowed to participate in the 2027 general elections.
The commission also said affected parties would not be permitted to substitute such candidates, stressing that no political party should benefit from a violation of the law.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, disclosed this on Trust TV’s Daily Politics programme on Wednesday.
Haruna was speaking against the backdrop of the September 24, 2026 judgment of the Supreme Court, which affirmed the constitutionality of Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act 2026 and upheld INEC’s revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 elections.
According to him, the commission is consulting its legal experts and will be in a position to make a definitive pronouncement on the implications of the judgment by Tuesday next week.
He explained that parties and candidates who failed to comply with the statutory requirement on membership registers could not be allowed to cure the breach through substitution.
“It’s like you committed an offence. And then, you come and benefit from it,” Haruna said, citing previous cases involving Zamfara and Plateau states.
He added that the implication of the judgment could be significant, noting that some political parties might be unable to field candidates for certain elective positions, including governorship and legislative seats.
“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 said INEC was being cautious in interpreting the Supreme Court judgment because it needed to work with the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the decision and obtain legal advice before announcing its position.
He said the commission received the CTC on Tuesday after making efforts to obtain it, adding that INEC had to verify the authenticity of the document given previous instances in which purported court judgments had been forged.
“We have to be very careful to make sure that when you took us, we did put a lot of pressure and we were able to get it yesterday (Tuesday),” he said.
The INEC commissioner also expressed concern over the tone of political campaigns ahead of the 2027 elections, particularly the use of threats by political actors.
He said such rhetoric was “a cause for concern” and urged all stakeholders, including the ruling party, to recognise the need for a peaceful electoral environment.
Haruna further disclosed that INEC was working to secure the funds required to conduct the 2027 elections, stressing that the commission no longer had the luxury of time as preparations intensified.
