The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced a review of the eligibility of some prominent 2027 candidates following the Supreme Court’s restoration of key provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
Those affected may include 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.
The review follows complaints from political parties, aggrieved aspirants and members of the National Assembly over the implications of the Supreme Court judgment.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Tuesday at the commission’s World Press Conference in Abuja.
Amupitan said the commission had only received the certified true copy of the judgment and was studying it before deciding on the appropriate course of action.
“We only received the certified true copy of this judgment this morning, and it is being reviewed,” he said.
The Supreme Court, in its September 24, 2026 judgment, overturned the Court of Appeal decision which had nullified Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026.
The apex court upheld the constitutionality of the disputed provisions.
The ruling has raised fresh questions over candidates who defected to new political parties after their former parties had conducted or commenced nomination exercises.
The affected provisions deal with political party membership registers and candidate nomination.
Section 77 requires political parties to submit their membership registers to INEC, while the restored provisions provide legal consequences concerning the use and submission of such registers.
INEC’s review is expected to clarify the status of the affected candidates and the implications of the Supreme Court ruling for the 2027 elections.
Joash Amupitan
