The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned political parties that they risk losing 2027 election candidates whose names are not contained in the membership registers submitted to the commission, saying such candidates may not be replaced if disqualified. The warning comes as Nigeria’s national voter register has surpassed 103 million registered voters ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Key Highlights
- INEC says parties may lose 2027 candidates whose names are missing from their submitted membership registers.
- The commission says it will not allow parties to substitute candidates disqualified under the membership-register rule.
- The warning follows the Supreme Court’s September 24, 2026 judgment on Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act 2026.
- Nigeria’s voter register has surpassed 103 million after three phases of Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).
- Lagos has the highest number of registered voters with 7,488,633, followed by Kano and Kaduna.
- Nationwide Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection begins on Friday, October 9.
INEC Warns Parties Over 2027 Candidate Eligibility
INEC National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Mohammed Haruna, issued the warning on Wednesday during an appearance on Trust TV’s Daily Politics.
The development follows the Supreme Court’s judgment of September 24, 2026, which upheld Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act 2026, as well as INEC’s revised timetable for the 2027 elections.
Under the provisions, political parties are required to submit their membership registers to INEC at least 21 days before conducting primaries.
Parties are also expected to use only the submitted registers for their primaries, congresses and conventions.
Candidates Could Lose Tickets Without Replacement
Haruna explained that candidates whose names were not contained in the relevant party registers could face disqualification because they were not recognised as members of the party at the time they sought its ticket.
He argued that allowing parties to replace such candidates would effectively allow them to benefit from failing to comply with the law.
“Some parties may not be able to finish with even governorship candidates,” Haruna said.
The commission, however, is still taking legal advice on the certified copy of the Supreme Court judgment and expects to establish a firm position by Tuesday.
House Committee Demands Party Register Audit
The House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters has also called for an audit of political parties’ membership registers and 2027 candidates.
In a letter dated September 30, committee chairman Bayo Balogun directed INEC to compare the names of all 2027 candidates with the membership registers submitted by their respective parties.
The committee asked the commission to disqualify candidates who fail to meet the membership requirement.
Balogun described the exercise as a litmus test that could also help reduce litigation arising from political party primaries.
Nigeria’s Voter Register Surpasses 103 Million
Meanwhile, INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan disclosed that Nigeria’s national voter register has surpassed 103 million following three phases of Continuous Voter Registration and a final Automated Biometric Identification System cleanup.
The three CVR phases generated 10,772,421 new registrations, comprising:
- 2,611,266 registrations in Phase One
- 4,121,835 registrations in Phase Two
- 3,867,997 registrations in Phase Three
The new registrations remain subject to verification and other statutory processes.
Amupitan described Nigeria as the largest democracy in Africa based on the size of its voter population.
Lagos Leads Nigeria’s Registered Voters
Lagos State has the highest number of registered voters with 7,488,633, followed by Kano State with 6,570,276 and Kaduna State with 4,662,640.
Other states in the top 10 include Katsina, Rivers, Oyo, Delta, Benue, Ogun and Bauchi.
At the bottom of the list is Ekiti State with 1,055,708 registered voters, followed by Bayelsa State with 1,200,691.
The register also contains 232,658 persons with disabilities, representing about 0.23 per cent of the total registered voter population.
Read also:
- INEC Reviews Supreme Court Judgment on Electoral Act 2026, Candidate Eligibility
- BREAKING: Nigeria’s Voter Register Hits 103 Million as INEC Sets October 9 for PVC Collection
- INEC Registers 9.3 Million Young Nigerians Ahead of 2027 General Elections
PVC Collection Begins October 9
INEC said nationwide collection of Permanent Voter Cards will begin on Friday, October 9, 2026, with Phase One cards already delivered to local government collection centres.
The preliminary voter register will also be displayed from October 9 to allow Nigerians to make claims and objections in line with Section 19 of the Electoral Act.
The display is expected to last for about one week.
Amupitan said eight of the 14 statutory activities contained in INEC’s 2027 election timetable had already been completed, adding that preparations had entered what he described as the “amber zone.”
2027 Elections: Parties and Voters Face Key Deadlines
The two developments highlight different but critical parts of Nigeria’s 2027 electoral preparations.
While political parties must ensure that their candidates meet the membership requirements before they can appear on the ballot, registered voters must complete the PVC collection and verification processes before they can participate in the election.
For political parties, the Supreme Court-backed membership-register requirements could have significant implications for candidates who were not included in the registers submitted to INEC.
For voters, the completion of registration, verification and PVC collection remains essential as Nigeria moves closer to the 2027 general elections.
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