The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is expected to clarify the eligibility of some governorship candidates at a World Press Conference and National Stakeholders Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, October 6, in Abuja.
The meeting, coming 100 days before the first ballot of the 2027 general elections, will be addressed by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan.
Political parties, media organisations, security agencies, civil society groups, religious leaders, development partners, members of the diplomatic community and other stakeholders have been invited to the meeting.
Questions over the eligibility of some governorship candidates emerged following the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
Among the candidates whose status has come under scrutiny are the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Rivers State, Hon. Kingsley Chinda; the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in Gombe State, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami; the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate in Nasarawa State and former Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu; and the All Progressives Movement (APM) candidate in Adamawa State, Abdulrahman Bashir Haske.
At the centre of the controversy is the interpretation of provisions of the Electoral Act dealing with party membership registers and the process of nominating candidates.
On September 24, the Supreme Court reinstated Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act after the Court of Appeal had earlier nullified them.
A seven-member panel of the apex court upheld INEC’s appeal against the Court of Appeal decision, ruling that the provisions were not inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution.
Section 77(5) deals with the membership register to be used for party primaries, while Sections 77(6) and 77(7) address the use and submission of the register. Section 84(2) provides for direct primaries or consensus in the nomination of candidates by political parties.
The ruling has since sparked debate over the status of politicians who participated in the primaries of one party before moving to another party and securing fresh nominations.
Some interpretations of the judgment suggest that such candidates could face questions over their eligibility. The affected candidates and their supporters, however, have rejected the claims, insisting that they remain qualified to contest.
INEC Deputy Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Wilfred Ifogah, had earlier said the commission would study the Supreme Court judgment after obtaining the Certified True Copy before taking any position.
Adamu’s campaign organisation has dismissed claims that the ruling disqualifies him, while the PDP in Gombe has maintained that Pantami remains eligible to contest. Supporters of Haske have also rejected suggestions that the judgment automatically invalidates his candidacy.
Beyond the issue of candidates’ eligibility, Tuesday’s meeting is expected to focus on preparations for the 2027 elections, including electoral security and funding.
INEC’s timetable places the presidential and National Assembly elections on February 20, 2027, while the governorship and State House of Assembly elections are scheduled for March 6, 2027.
