By Simpson Global Media News Desk
INEC draws a firm line ahead of 2027
The Independent National Electoral Commission has issued a significant warning to Nigeria’s political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections, saying parties that failed to comply with statutory requirements on membership registers will not be allowed to field candidates affected by the rule.
The commission also said such parties will not be permitted to replace candidates who become affected by the Supreme Court’s recent interpretation of provisions governing party membership registers and candidate nominations.
The position, disclosed by INEC National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Mohammed Haruna, comes at a critical stage of preparations for the 2027 elections, with the country entering the final phase of the electoral timetable.
Haruna made the clarification while appearing on Trust Television’s Daily Politics programme, explaining the implications of the Supreme Court’s September 24, 2026 judgment on Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act 2026.
The development could have consequences for political parties and aspirants across the country, particularly where the membership status of candidates at the time they emerged from party primaries does not correspond with the membership register submitted to INEC within the period prescribed by law.
INEC’s interpretation means that compliance with the legal requirements surrounding party registers will become an important factor in determining whether some candidates can appear on the ballot.
What the Supreme Court decided
The controversy stems from a legal challenge involving provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 that regulate how political parties maintain and submit their membership registers and how those registers are used during internal party elections.
The provisions were challenged after questions arose over whether the requirements imposed by the Electoral Act were constitutional and whether INEC had the authority to enforce them as part of its supervision of political parties and elections.
The Supreme Court eventually affirmed the constitutionality of Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) and upheld INEC’s revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections.
Under Section 77(5), only members whose names appear on a political party’s membership register submitted to INEC within the prescribed period are eligible to participate in the party’s primary, congress or convention.
Section 77(6) requires parties to use the membership register submitted to the electoral commission when conducting their internal selection processes.
Section 77(7) goes further by providing that a political party that fails to submit its register within the stipulated period is not eligible to field candidates for elective positions.
The Supreme Court’s decision restored the legal force of provisions that had previously been nullified by lower courts, bringing renewed attention to the importance of party compliance before candidates emerge from primaries.
No substitution for affected candidates
One of the most consequential aspects of INEC’s latest clarification is the commission’s position on candidate substitution.
According to Haruna, parties affected by the Supreme Court judgment cannot simply replace candidates who are found to have been ineligible because their names were not contained in the relevant membership register.
The commission’s reasoning is that allowing a party to substitute an affected candidate after failing to comply with the law would effectively reward the party for an infraction.
Haruna argued that a political party should not be able to benefit from a failure to comply with a statutory requirement by subsequently replacing the candidate affected by that failure.
The position could create uncertainty for some parties as INEC examines the records submitted by political organisations ahead of the election.
The commission indicated that the consequences could extend beyond presidential and governorship candidates.
“All the candidates” across the various elective positions could be affected where the requirements have not been met, Haruna said, including candidates seeking seats in state Houses of Assembly.
That means the issue is not restricted to the most visible positions on the ballot. Depending on the outcome of INEC’s review, it could affect candidates at federal and state levels.
Some parties could face gaps on the ballot
INEC has acknowledged that the application of the Supreme Court judgment could leave some political parties without candidates for certain positions.
Haruna said some parties might consequently be unable to complete their lists of candidates, including potentially at governorship level, depending on the findings of the commission’s review.
That possibility has increased attention on the records of political parties and the processes through which candidates emerged from their primaries.
For parties preparing for the 2027 elections, the issue is therefore no longer simply about winning support from voters. Internal compliance, accurate membership records and adherence to the timetable have become equally important elements of electoral preparation.
The situation also highlights the increasingly technical nature of Nigeria’s electoral process, where disputes over candidate eligibility can emerge before voters even reach polling stations.
A candidate may have won a party primary and secured political backing, but eligibility to appear on the final ballot remains subject to the legal and regulatory framework governing elections.
INEC reviews the judgment
INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan disclosed earlier that the commission had received the Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court judgment and was reviewing its implications.
The commission said political parties, aspirants and members of the National Assembly had raised concerns about the judgment and its consequences for the 2027 election process.
INEC received the certified judgment on October 6, after the Supreme Court delivered its decision on September 24.
The commission subsequently indicated that it would meet to determine how the judgment should be implemented.
INEC National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna said the commission would convene a meeting the following week to make a decision on the implications of the ruling for candidate nominations.
He acknowledged that the issue had generated anxiety among candidates and members of the public.
That process will be closely watched because political parties are already deep into preparations for the 2027 elections.
The wider 2027 political environment
The latest development comes as political activity intensifies across Nigeria.
The 2027 general elections are already shaping political alliances, party strategies and campaigns, with major parties and emerging political platforms attempting to position themselves ahead of the polls.
INEC has said it has entered the final phase of preparations for the elections, with election materials in production, technology systems undergoing testing and security arrangements being strengthened.
The commission described the period as the final 100-day sprint toward the polls and reiterated its commitment to neutrality and the integrity of the electoral process.
The timing makes the membership-register issue particularly important.
Political parties have limited room to correct mistakes as the election timetable progresses. Any dispute over the eligibility of candidates could potentially result in litigation, internal political tension or the absence of candidates from particular contests.
The Supreme Court judgment has therefore provided a clearer legal framework, but its practical implementation could still generate questions in individual cases.
Voters show strong interest in 2027
The INEC development is also unfolding against the backdrop of a new voter-intention survey showing significant public interest in the next election.
A National Voting Intentions Survey conducted by Yiaga Africa found that 84 per cent of respondents said they were likely or very likely to vote in the 2027 general elections.
The survey involved 2,470 Nigerians aged 18 and above across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
However, the headline figure comes with important qualifications.
Only 41 per cent of respondents were both likely to vote and very certain of their candidate choice, according to the survey.
The study also found that 61 per cent of respondents said fear of violence could prevent them from voting, while 82 per cent expressed concern about insecurity affecting the elections.
Confidence in INEC also fell to 34 per cent in the latest survey, down from 45 per cent in earlier rounds.
The findings suggest that Nigerians may be interested in participating in the election while still harbouring serious concerns about whether the electoral environment will be sufficiently safe and credible.
Why the membership-register issue matters to voters
For ordinary voters, the legal dispute over party registers may appear technical.
However, it could have a direct impact on the choices available to voters on election day.
If a party is unable to field a candidate because of non-compliance with the membership-register provisions, voters in that constituency could find that a candidate they expected to support is not on the ballot.
This could also affect the strategies of rival political parties.
A party whose candidate is removed from a race may have to reconsider its campaign structure, while competing parties may suddenly find themselves facing a different electoral landscape.
At the same time, the enforcement of the law could strengthen the principle that political parties must comply with established electoral rules before they participate in the formal election.
The central question will therefore be how consistently and transparently the rules are applied.
Parties face greater pressure to get their records right
Political parties are expected to maintain membership records and comply with INEC requirements as part of the electoral process.
The Supreme Court’s decision places additional importance on those records because participation in party primaries and the subsequent eligibility of candidates are connected to them.
For party officials, the immediate task will be to establish that their processes complied with the requirements of the Electoral Act.
Where disagreements arise, affected aspirants and parties may seek legal remedies, potentially creating another wave of election-related litigation.
Nigeria’s electoral history contains numerous examples of political disputes moving from party structures to the courts.
The 2027 election cycle is therefore likely to involve not only campaigns and rallies but also continuing legal battles over nomination procedures, eligibility and compliance.
The risk of pre-election uncertainty
One of the challenges facing INEC is balancing strict enforcement of the law with the need to provide political parties and voters with certainty well before election day.
Candidates need to know whether they are legally qualified to contest.
Political parties need to know which candidates they can campaign for.
Voters need to know which names and parties will appear on their ballots.
Any prolonged uncertainty could complicate preparations and potentially create confusion at the grassroots.
INEC’s decision-making process will therefore attract considerable attention from political parties, civil society organisations, election observers and the wider public.
The commission has indicated that it intends to examine the Supreme Court judgment and determine its implications rather than act on speculation.
That approach could help reduce uncertainty if the final position is communicated clearly and applied consistently.
Political parties also face a credibility test
Beyond the immediate question of candidate eligibility, the dispute places responsibility on political parties themselves.
Parties are not merely vehicles for winning elections. They are constitutional participants in Nigeria’s democratic system and are expected to operate within the legal framework governing political competition.
Maintaining accurate membership registers should therefore be regarded as a fundamental organisational responsibility rather than a procedural detail.
The controversy also reinforces the need for parties to conduct transparent internal processes.
Where party primaries are properly documented and membership records are maintained in accordance with the law, disputes over nominations can be reduced.
Where records are incomplete, outdated or inconsistent, the possibility of legal challenges increases.
What happens next
The immediate next step is for INEC to complete its review of the Supreme Court judgment and determine how the relevant provisions will be applied to the 2027 election process.
The commission has indicated that it will meet to consider the consequences of the ruling.
Political parties and affected candidates are expected to monitor the commission’s decisions closely.
Where a candidate is found to be affected, the question of whether the party can continue with the candidacy or whether the position will remain vacant could become a major issue.
Legal challenges are also possible where parties or candidates disagree with INEC’s interpretation or implementation of the judgment.
However, the Supreme Court’s ruling itself has already provided an important legal foundation by affirming the validity of the membership-register provisions.
INEC under pressure to maintain neutrality
The commission will also have to manage the political sensitivities surrounding the implementation of the judgment.
Nigeria’s political environment is highly competitive, particularly ahead of a presidential election.
Any decision that removes or affects a prominent candidate could attract accusations of bias, regardless of the legal basis for the decision.
That makes transparency particularly important.
INEC will need to explain the rules, identify the legal basis for its decisions and apply the same standards to all political parties.
The commission’s own stated commitment to neutrality will be tested by the practical decisions that emerge from the implementation of the Supreme Court ruling.
A defining phase before the ballot
The controversy over party membership registers is a reminder that Nigeria’s 2027 election will be shaped long before voters arrive at polling stations.
The legal framework, internal party democracy, candidate selection, electoral technology, security and public confidence will all influence the credibility of the eventual contest.
The latest Yiaga Africa survey indicates that many Nigerians still want to participate despite widespread concerns about insecurity and trust in institutions.
That makes the responsibility of political parties and electoral authorities even greater.
For political parties, the message from INEC is clear: compliance with the law cannot be treated as an afterthought.
For candidates, eligibility cannot be assumed simply because a party has nominated them.
And for voters, the developments underline the importance of paying attention not only to campaign promises but also to the electoral rules that determine who ultimately appears on the ballot.
As INEC moves closer to the 2027 election, the commission’s handling of the membership-register issue will be an early test of its ability to enforce the law while maintaining confidence among competing political interests.
The coming weeks could therefore prove crucial for several political parties and aspirants.
With preparations accelerating and the final phase of the election timetable already underway, the question is no longer whether the Supreme Court judgment will affect the 2027 contest.
It is now a question of how broadly its consequences will be felt across Nigeria’s political landscape — and whether the parties, candidates and electoral authorities can resolve the resulting issues before Nigerians head to the polls.
Comments
Post a Comment