Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters on Tuesday, 6 October, 2026 urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to disqualify candidates whose names are not contained in political party registers, as stipulated by the Electoral Act 2026.
The Chairman of the Committee, Bayo Balogun, who stated this through a statement on Tuesday, 6 October, 2026, called the attention of the commission to a Supreme Court ruling on Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) and called for their full enforcement across all political parties.
According to Balogun, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), pending legal proceedings concerning the interpretation, constitutionality and enforceability of the sections had been resolved by virtue of the Supreme Court judgment.
He recalled that the Supreme Court, on September 24, 2026, restored the provisions after setting aside the Court of Appeal judgment that had declared them unconstitutional.
The lawmaker, who said the apex court held that the provisions were not inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution, explained that Section 77(5) provides that only members whose names are contained in the membership register submitted to INEC are eligible to vote or be voted for at party primaries, congresses and conventions.
While stating t that Section 77(6) requires political parties to use the register submitted to the electoral umpire for such exercises, Balogun urged INEC to proceed without further delay to enforce Sections 77(4) to 77(6) in the administration and monitoring of political parties and their electoral activities.
He further urged the commission to audit the membership registers and candidates submitted by political parties to establish whether the names of the candidates are contained in the registers earlier submitted to INEC in compliance with Section 77(5).
“This will be a litmus test for the commission – any culpable political party and candidates should be disqualified.
“Diligent enforcement of the provision would help prevent disputes and reduce the volume of litigation that could arise from alleged irregularities or non-compliance with Sections 77(4) to 77(6) of the Electoral Act,” Balogun said.
