The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said the exclusion of some candidates from its final list for the 2027 governorship elections resulted from their political parties’ failure to submit membership registers within the period stipulated by law.

The explanation comes amid controversy over the omission of prominent Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates, including Isa Pantami in Gombe State and Ladi Adebutu in Ogun State.

Pantami’s name was missing from the list despite his victory in a court-ordered rerun of the PDP governorship primary in Gombe. Adebutu and his running mate were also excluded from the final list.

The development sparked reactions from the Ogun PDP, which accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of pressuring the electoral commission. Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong also called on INEC to demonstrate its neutrality.

However, in a statement issued on Tuesday, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said the decision was based on the Supreme Court’s judgment delivered on September 24, 2026.

The judgment, in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026, upheld the constitutionality of Section 77(5)–(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which mandates political parties to submit their membership registers to the commission within the prescribed timeframe.

INEC said the Supreme Court also upheld its timetable requiring parties to submit their registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.

According to the commission, the court ruled that political parties that failed to meet the statutory requirement were not eligible to sponsor candidates in the elections.

Haruna explained that INEC applied the judgment when compiling the final list of governorship candidates, in compliance with Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

The commission further noted that the final lists of presidential and National Assembly candidates had been published on September 12, 2026, 13 days before the Supreme Court delivered its judgment.

INEC added that Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, allows political parties that believe their candidates were wrongly excluded to notify the commission within 14 days of the publication of the relevant list.

The commission consequently fixed October 24, 2026, as the deadline for submitting such notifications.

INEC reiterated its commitment to transparency, strict adherence to the law and the conduct of credible elections, stressing that its actions were guided by legal requirements and judicial decisions.