INEC warns parties: Late membership register could cost candidates 2027 polls

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned political parties that candidates whose names are not contained in their membership registers three weeks before their primaries will not be allowed to contest the election.

Mohammed Haruna, INEC National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education in a statement on Thursday, said parties that failed to meet the deadline would not be allowed to substitute affected candidates.

“The law is clear. Some parties won’t even field governorship candidates down to Houses of Assembly if the candidates’ names were not in the party’s register three weeks before the primaries,” Haruna said.

He said INEC would remove candidates fielded by parties that failed to comply with the requirement, adding that such candidates would not be eligible to contest the election.

“No party will be able to change candidates. They won’t contest the election,” he said.

Haruna cited previous electoral disputes in Zamfara and Plateau states as examples of the consequences of failing to comply with the law.

“Remember Zamfara and Plateau. The law is clear,” he said.