The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned that political parties that field candidates whose names were not contained in their registers submitted to the commission may be barred from participating in the 2027 elections for the affected positions.
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 affected parties would also not be allowed to substitute such candidates, stressing that political parties should not benefit from violations of the law.
His comments followed the Supreme Court’s September 24, 2026 judgment affirming the constitutionality of Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act 2026 and upholding INEC’s revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections.
“It’s like you committed an offence. And then, you come and benefit from it,” Haruna said, recalling previous cases involving Zamfara and Plateau states.
He explained that where candidates were not listed in a party’s register, they were not members of the party at the time they contested its tickets, adding that the implication could affect candidates for elective positions from the National Assembly down to the state Houses of Assembly.
According to Haruna, INEC is expected to make a definite pronouncement on the implications of the Supreme Court judgment by Tuesday next week, subject to the completion of its review and legal advice.
He said the commission delayed its position because it needed to obtain the Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court judgment and seek appropriate legal advice, noting that INEC had to exercise caution because forged copies of court judgments had been presented in previous cases.
“You can’t be too careful with these things because even when you see copies and they tell you it’s a CTC, it may be forged,” Haruna said, adding that the commission received the certified judgment on Tuesday.
