Indications have emerged that the Self-sufficient Countrywide Electoral Commission (INEC) is considering moving against candidates who violated confirmed provisions of the 2026 Electoral Act in respect to Thursday’s judgment of the Supreme Court.
Candidates who emerged in controversial primaries have been of the perspective that given that the Supreme Court did not cite any candidate by name, INEC cannot take any shift on them excluding a recourse to the court for guide pronouncement.
A highly consistent source in INEC who spoke including our correspondent confirmed that the commission is worried on the anxiety generated as a outcome of the judgement and the different interpretations it is been given that it may go ahead and impose the necessary sanctions once the legal department okays the advance.
Daily Trust learnt that due to the time reduce prior to the commission releases the final list of candidates, it may not have the luxury of time to wait for the outcome of continued litigations earlier than it could take definite actions on the confirmation of candidates.
The Commission’s approved timetable provides for the publication of the final list of candidates for the Presidential and Nationwide Assembly elections not later than September 12,, during the time that the governorship and status Assembly final list is scheduled for October 10, 2026.
Interior to sources mention due to time constraints the commission is bound to come out alongside a role by coming week as it is making efforts to acquire the Certified Accurate Duplicate (CTC) of the judgement using a perspective to acting on it.
When contacted of INEC Statewide Commissioner, Facts and Voter Education Malam Mohammed Haruna confirmed that INEC is functioning towards reviewing the judgement subsequent to obtaining a CTC of the judgment.
He said ordinarily, it takes on a week to secure the CTC but that the judgment was delivered on the 24th of September which is not up to a week adding that immediately the commission obtains the judgment, the legal department of the commission would gain to task later than which there would be a meeting of the commissioners a perspective would be taken on the subject.
He moreover confirmed there are lots of issues pertaining to the judgment that would have to be resolved as there’s a lot of anxiety in both the commission and in the political parties as no one is cetin around what may become of the fate of candidates who are seen as falling in the synonyms of those that may be affected by the judgement.
There are fears the candidates who emerged overdue or once presenting themselves for elections on other platforms like ex-IGP Mohammed Adamu, Sheik Isa Pantami; Kingsley Chinda; Shehu Buba; Mohammed Nami, may be affected.
Portion 77 states in portion that a party shall maintain a computerized register of its members containing the name, sex, date of birth, control, Situation, Regional Government, ward, polling unit, Statewide Identification Figure and photograph in both difficult and soft copies.
Each political party shall produce such register introduce to the Commission not later than 21 days in advance of the date constant for the party primaries, congresses or conventions; Solely members whose names are contained in the register shall be eligible to vote and be voted for in party primaries, congresses and conventions whereas a political party shall not use any other register for party primaries, congresses and conventions except the register submitted to the Commission. And that a party that fails to submit the membership register indoors the stipulated time shall not be eligible to field a candidate for that election.
Source: Supreme Court judgement: INEC to move against erring candidates next week
