The House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disqualify any political candidates whose names do not appear in their respective party membership registers.
In an official letter addressed to the electoral body, the committee chairman, Bayo Balogun, pointed to Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026. He urged INEC to strictly enforce the provision across all registered political parties following a recent, definitive judgment from the Supreme Court.
The directive comes on the heels of a ruling handed down last month by a seven-member panel of the apex court, which upheld an appeal filed by INEC. The Supreme Court restored sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7), and 84(2) of the Electoral Act, setting aside a previous appellate court verdict and affirming that the statutory rules governing party membership registers do not conflict with the 1999 Constitution.
Addressing an earlier communication from INEC dated July 26, 2026—where the commission voiced hesitation over conflicting court rulings and pending litigation surrounding Section 77—Balogun acknowledged that the electoral body’s past caution was understandable to prevent administrative overreach.
However, the committee chairman emphasized that the legal landscape has completely shifted now that the highest court in the land has spoken.
“The legal position has now changed following the Supreme Court judgment,” Balogun stated, noting that the verdict has cleared away previous ambiguities and paved the way for full implementation.
The committee has consequently tasked INEC with auditing all candidates fielded by political parties for the upcoming 2027 general elections. The commission must verify that every candidate’s name is properly recorded in the membership registers submitted to INEC at least 21 days before party primaries, congresses, or conventions, as required by law.
Under Section 77(5) of the Electoral Act, only members whose names are duly logged in a party’s submitted register are eligible to participate in primaries. Section 77(6) strictly bars parties from utilizing any register other than the one officially lodged with the electoral commission, while Section 77(7) explicitly states that any party failing to submit its membership register within the statutory deadline forfeits the right to field candidates for the election.
Balogun stressed that enforcing these provisions proactively will save the electoral system from an avoidable flood of post-election litigations sparked by non-compliance, ensuring greater transparency and adherence to due process as the nation counts down to the 2027 polls