2027: Reps ask INEC to disqualify candidates not listed in submitted party registers

Ahead of the upcoming 2027 election, the House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters has called upon the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to disqualify candidates whose names are absent from political party registers, as mandated by the Electoral Act 2026. Chairman Bayo Balogun highlighted this issue in a recent statement, urging full compliance by all political parties with the provisions outlined in Supreme Court ruling.

Balogun, representing the All Progressives Congress (APC), emphasized that the Supreme Court's September 24, 2026, decision has affirmed the constitutionality of these provisions, overturning the previous Court of Appeal ruling. Section 77(5) stipulates that only candidates listed in the membership register submitted to INEC are eligible to participate in party primaries, congresses, and conventions.

Section 77(6) mandates that political parties utilize the aforementioned register for these electoral activities. Balogun stressed the importance of the Electoral Commission's prompt enforcement of these sections, particularly in identifying discrepancies between the candidates nominated by parties and those registered in INEC's records.

Failure to address non-compliance, he warned, could result in litigious disputes and undermine electoral integrity.