The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned that some political parties may be barred from fielding candidates in the 2027 general elections for failing to comply with legal requirements on membership registers.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said candidates whose names are absent from the membership registers submitted by their parties at least 21 days before their primaries could be disqualified.
Haruna disclosed this during a television interview, explaining that the commission was studying the Supreme Court judgment upholding the 2026 Electoral Act before deciding how to proceed. He said INEC received a certified true copy of the judgment on Tuesday and had referred it to its legal team, including five Senior Advocates of Nigeria, for review.
He said the commission expected to reach a decision next week, warning that some parties could be prevented from fielding even governorship candidates. According to him, it may be too late for affected parties to correct their omissions, depending on the commission’s interpretation of the law.
Haruna also expressed concern over delays in releasing funds for the 2027 elections, warning that late funding could affect the procurement and production of sensitive materials, including ballot papers and result sheets. He said the tight timeline could complicate printing and nationwide distribution, even though local printers have the capacity to handle the work.
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