The House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disqualify candidates whose names are not contained in the membership registers of the political parties that nominated them for the 2027 elections.
The committee made the call in a letter to INEC dated September 30, 2026, signed by its Chairman, Bayo Balogun, and released to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday.
It said the electoral commission should conduct an audit of the candidates submitted by all registered political parties and cross-check their names against the membership registers already filed with INEC.
The lawmakers said the exercise should be based on Sections 77(4) to 77(6) of the Electoral Act, 2026, following the recent judgment of the Supreme Court on the disputed provisions.
Section 77(5) provides that only members whose names are contained in a political party’s register are eligible to vote or be voted for at the party’s primaries, congresses and conventions.
Balogun said the committee’s intervention followed the Supreme Court’s resolution of the legal issues surrounding the provision.
He recalled that INEC had previously been reluctant to enforce the provision because litigation challenging its interpretation, constitutionality and enforceability was still pending.
According to him, the commission had stated in a July 26, 2026 response signed by its Secretary that it was cautious about taking administrative action while the matter remained before the courts.
Balogun, however, said the Supreme Court’s judgment had now altered the situation.
“The legal position has now materially changed,” he said, adding that the apex court had settled the dispute concerning the relevant provisions of Section 77(5).
He said INEC should therefore proceed “without further delay” to enforce Sections 77(4) to 77(6) in its monitoring and administration of political parties.
The committee specifically urged the commission to identify candidates who were not listed in the membership registers submitted by their parties and take appropriate action against them.
It warned that political parties and candidates found to have breached the law should be disqualified.
“This will be a litmus test for the Commission and any culpable political party and candidates should be disqualified,” the committee said.
The lawmakers also said the proposed audit would help reduce the likelihood of prolonged litigation after party primaries and the general elections.
They argued that early verification of compliance would prevent cases arising from alleged violations of the statutory requirements from overwhelming the courts.
“If diligently done, it will save the courts from flood of litigations that may arise from irregularities and non-adherence to Section 77(4-6) by political parties and their candidates,” the committee said.
The dispute over Section 77 has attracted considerable attention ahead of the 2027 elections because of its implications for participation in party primaries and the validity of candidates emerging from such processes.
The provision covers aspects of the internal administration of political parties, including primaries, congresses and conventions.
With political parties already advancing preparations for the 2027 elections, the committee said compliance with the statutory requirements on party membership and nomination should be strictly enforced.
The proposed verification would cover candidates for the presidential, governorship and National Assembly elections as parties finalise their nominations ahead of the polls.
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