2027: INEC Makes Fresh Move That Could Affect Several Big Candidates

Keep up with the latest news and be part of our weekly giveaways and airtime sharing; follow our WhatsApp channel for more updates. Click to Follow us

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has commenced a review of the Supreme Court judgment that reinstated key provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.

The development has sparked fresh concerns over the eligibility of some political candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Tuesday during the commission’s World Press Conference in Abuja.

Amupitan said the commission had received complaints from political parties, aggrieved aspirants and members of the National Assembly regarding the implications of the Supreme Court ruling in the case involving INEC and the Zenith Labour Party, ZLP.

The Supreme Court, in its September 24, 2026 judgment, affirmed the constitutionality of sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, while also restoring INEC’s revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 elections.

According to Amupitan, INEC only obtained the certified true copy of the judgment on Tuesday and is currently examining its contents before deciding on the appropriate course of action.

“We have recently received complaints from some political parties, and aggrieved aspirants, and even from the National Assembly, drawing our attention to the recent Supreme Court decision in INEC and Zenit Labour Party, delivered on the 24th day of September, 2026, affirming the constitutionality of Section 77, subsections 5 to 7 of the Electoral Act, 2026, and also upholding our revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general election.

“We only received the certified true copy of this judgement this morning, and it is being reviewed,” he said.

The latest development comes amid growing uncertainty over the political future of several prominent candidates who defected to new political parties after their previous parties had either conducted or begun their nomination processes.

Among those whose candidacies have come under scrutiny are Rivers State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Kingsley Chinda; Delta Central senatorial candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Ovie Omo-Agege; former Cross River State governor and Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, presidential candidate, Donald Duke; and former Delta State House of Assembly Speaker, Victor Ochei.

Please don’t forget to “Allow the notification” so you will be the first to get our gist when we publish it. 
Drop your comment in the section below, and don’t forget to share the post.