Reps panel asks INEC to disqualify candidates absent from party registers

The House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disqualify candidates whose names are missing from their political parties’ membership registers ahead of the 2027 general election.

The committee, through its chairman, Bayo Balogun, urged INEC to enforce Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026 following a recent Supreme Court judgment that restored provisions regulating party membership records and candidate nominations.

In a letter to the commission, Balogun said the apex court’s ruling had removed the legal uncertainties that previously prevented INEC from enforcing the provisions.

He recalled that INEC had expressed reservations in a July 26, 2026, position on the interpretation and enforceability of Section 77, citing conflicting judicial pronouncements and pending court cases.

Balogun said the commission’s earlier position was understandable, given the need to avoid administrative actions that could subsequently be invalidated by a final court decision.

However, he said the Supreme Court’s judgment had clarified the legal position and paved the way for the full implementation of the law.

The committee chairman asked INEC to audit candidates presented by all registered political parties for the 2027 elections and confirm that their names appeared in the membership registers submitted to the commission in accordance with Section 77(5).

He warned that failure to enforce the provisions could trigger avoidable litigation over candidates’ eligibility and compliance with electoral laws.

In September, a seven-member panel of the Supreme Court upheld an appeal filed by INEC, restoring Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act.