2027 Gov Polls: INEC Gives Pantami, Adebutu, Gwarzo, Others 14 Days To Appeal Exclusion

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has given political parties whose governorship candidates were excluded from the final list for the 2027 election 14 days to notify the commission if they believe the exclusion was wrongful.

INEC said the deadline for affected political parties to submit their complaints is October 24, 2026.

The commission disclosed this in a clarification issued on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee.

The clarification follows the recent exclusion of some candidates, including Gombe State governorship aspirant Isa Ali Pantami, Ogun State candidate Ladi Adebutu and other politicians, from the final list of candidates for the 2027 governorship election.

INEC explained that the action was based on the Supreme Court judgment in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026, delivered on September 24, 2026.

According to the commission, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of Section 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which makes the submission of political parties’ membership registers a mandatory requirement for conducting valid party primaries.

The court also upheld Item No. 2 of INEC’s timetable and schedule of activities, which required political parties to submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.

INEC said the Supreme Court further ruled that political parties that failed to comply with the provisions were ineligible to sponsor candidates for the election.

The commission stated that, in compliance with Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, it applied the Supreme Court’s decision when finalising the list of governorship candidates, excluding political parties that failed to meet the statutory requirement.

It explained that the decision affected the governorship candidates’ list because it was being finalised after the Supreme Court judgment.

However, INEC noted that the final lists of presidential and National Assembly candidates had already been published on September 12, 2026, 13 days before the Supreme Court delivered its judgment.

The commission said Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, allows political parties that believe their candidates were wrongly excluded from the list to notify it within 14 days of publication.

It consequently fixed October 24, 2026, as the deadline for affected parties to submit their complaints.

INEC reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, the rule of law and the credibility of the electoral process