The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned political parties that failure to comply with membership-register requirements could put some of their candidates at risk of participating in the 2027 general elections.

INEC National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Mohammed Haruna, said candidates whose names were not contained in the party membership registers submitted to the commission could be affected by the requirements of the Electoral Act 2026.

The warning follows a Supreme Court judgment delivered on September 24, 2026, which affirmed the constitutionality of Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act 2026.

The apex court also upheld INEC’s revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 elections.

Key Takeaways

• INEC says political parties risk losing candidates whose names were not included in their submitted membership registers.
• The warning follows the Supreme Court’s September 24, 2026 judgment concerning Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act 2026.
• Mohammed Haruna said affected parties may not be allowed to substitute candidates because that could enable them to benefit from their own violation.
• The issue could affect candidates from the presidential level to state Houses of Assembly, according to Haruna.
• INEC has not yet issued its definitive position and is studying the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Supreme Court judgment with its legal experts.

What INEC’s Warning Means For Political Parties

Speaking on Trust TV’s Daily Politics programme on Wednesday, Haruna said INEC would not allow political parties to benefit from violations of the law.

One of the most significant questions concerns whether parties would be allowed to replace candidates affected by the membership-register requirement.

Haruna indicated that substitution would not necessarily provide parties with a way around the problem.

“It’s like you committed an offence. And then, you come and benefit from it.”

He referred to previous political disputes involving Zamfara and Plateau, arguing that a party should not be able to benefit from its own violation.

According to Haruna, allowing a party to replace an affected candidate could amount to giving it the benefit of correcting a violation after the fact.

Why The Party Membership Register Matters

At the centre of the controversy is whether candidates were valid members of their political parties when they contested for party tickets.

Haruna said the requirement extends across the different elective positions being contested in the 2027 elections.

He said candidates from the presidential contest down to state Houses of Assembly could be affected if their names were missing from the relevant party registers.

“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.”

The implication of that position could be significant for parties that submitted membership registers without the names of individuals who later emerged as candidates.

However, INEC is still studying the Supreme Court judgment before announcing exactly how the ruling will be implemented.

Supreme Court Judgment Behind INEC’s Warning

The latest uncertainty follows the Supreme Court’s September 24 judgment affirming the constitutionality of Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act 2026.

The court also upheld INEC’s revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections.

The judgment has generated concern among political parties because of its potential implications for candidates whose membership status does not correspond with registers submitted to INEC.

For the electoral commission, the immediate task is determining how the judgment should be applied to the nomination and eligibility process ahead of the elections.

Why Candidate Substitution Could Become A Major Issue

One of the most consequential parts of Haruna’s comments concerned the possibility of substituting candidates.

His position was that parties should not be allowed to resolve a violation by simply replacing the affected candidate.

“And the law was very clear. Once you do that kind of thing, you cannot benefit from it. You are benefiting from it, if you are able to substitute a candidate.”

If INEC ultimately adopts that interpretation after completing its legal review, political parties affected by the register requirement could face consequences beyond individual candidates.

The precise application, however, remains dependent on the commission’s final position after studying the certified judgment.

Some Parties Could Face Wider Candidate Problems

Haruna warned that the consequences could potentially reach major elective contests.

“Some parties may not be able to finish with even governorship candidates.”

His comments suggest the issue may not be limited to isolated candidacies if a party’s membership register creates problems for several people who emerged through its nomination process.

The commissioner said INEC had examined candidates across the different levels of the elections, from presidential candidates to those seeking seats in state Houses of Assembly.

That makes the commission’s eventual interpretation of the Supreme Court judgment particularly important for political parties preparing for the 2027 polls.

INEC Has Not Yet Announced Its Final Position

Despite the warning, INEC has not made a definitive pronouncement on exactly how the Supreme Court judgment will affect individual candidates or political parties.

Haruna acknowledged the anxiety surrounding the ruling but said the commission needed to carefully examine the judgment before deciding its next steps.

INEC, he said, only recently obtained the Certified True Copy of the judgment and would consult its legal experts before reaching a final position.

That distinction is important: the commission has outlined the potential consequences of non-compliance, but its detailed application of the Supreme Court ruling is still being considered.

Why INEC Says It Is Proceeding Carefully

Haruna said INEC wanted to be certain that the judgment being considered was authentic before relying on it for decisions with potentially significant electoral consequences.

“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.”

He recalled previous instances in which individuals allegedly forged Supreme Court judgments.

For that reason, he said, the commission needed to ensure that the document forming the basis of its legal assessment was authentic.

INEC is expected to make a clearer pronouncement on the matter by Tuesday next week, according to Haruna.

INEC Raises Concern Over Campaign Threats

Beyond the candidate-register controversy, Haruna also expressed concern about threats being made during political campaigns ahead of the 2027 elections.

He said threatening political opponents or other actors was unacceptable regardless of how many people were responsible.

“Those kinds of things, even if it’s a minority, it’s a cause for concern, because nobody should be threatened at all.”

Haruna described such rhetoric as “not reassuring at all,” adding that it should concern Nigerians across political divides, including members of the ruling party.

Election Preparations Face Growing Time Pressure

INEC is also working to secure the funding required to conduct the 2027 general elections.

Haruna said the commission was increasingly pressed for time as preparations for the polls continued.

According to him, further delays could make it more difficult for INEC to complete the necessary arrangements for the elections.

The funding issue therefore represents another challenge facing the commission alongside the legal and administrative questions surrounding candidate eligibility.

What Happens Next?

Attention will now turn to INEC’s promised pronouncement after its legal experts complete their examination of the Supreme Court judgment.

That clarification could determine how the commission intends to apply the party membership-register requirements and what consequences could follow for affected candidates.

Until that position is formally announced, Haruna’s comments represent a warning about the potential implications rather than confirmation that particular candidates or political parties have already been excluded from the 2027 elections.

Political parties will therefore be watching closely for INEC’s interpretation, particularly on whether candidates whose names were absent from submitted membership registers can remain in the race and whether substitution will be permitted.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is INEC warning political parties about their 2027 candidates?

INEC says candidates whose names were not included in the membership registers submitted by their political parties could face problems under the requirements of the Electoral Act 2026.

What did the Supreme Court decide?

According to the information provided, the Supreme Court’s September 24, 2026 judgment 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.

Can political parties substitute affected candidates?

Haruna indicated that parties may not be permitted to substitute candidates affected by the register requirement, arguing that doing so could allow them to benefit from their own violation. INEC is still studying the certified judgment before making its definitive pronouncement.

Could governorship candidates be affected?

Yes. Haruna warned that some political parties could potentially find themselves unable to field even governorship candidates, depending on how the membership-register requirement applies.

Has INEC already disqualified any candidates?

The information provided does not establish that INEC has already disqualified particular candidates on this basis. The commission says it is studying the Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court judgment and consulting its legal experts before announcing its final position.

INEC Decision Could Shape 2027 Candidate Line-Up

The dispute over political-party membership registers could become an important issue in preparations for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, particularly if INEC’s final interpretation affects candidates across several levels of contest.

For now, the central question is not whether specific candidates have already been removed, but how INEC will implement the Supreme Court judgment after completing its legal review.

The commission’s expected clarification will therefore be closely watched by political parties, candidates and voters seeking to understand who could ultimately be eligible to contest the 2027 elections.