The House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to audit the membership registers of political parties and disqualify candidates whose names are not contained in the registers submitted to the commission ahead of the 2027 elections.

The committee’s Chairman, Rep. Bayo Balogun (APC), made the call in a statement on Tuesday, drawing INEC’s attention to the Supreme Court judgment on Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act 2026.

Balogun said the Supreme Court’s September 24 judgment had restored the provisions after setting aside an earlier Court of Appeal decision that declared them unconstitutional.

According to him, the apex court held that the provisions were not inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution.

He explained that Section 77(5) stipulates that only political party members whose names appear in the membership register submitted to INEC are eligible to vote or be voted for at party primaries, congresses and conventions, while Section 77(6) requires parties to use the submitted register for such exercises.

The lawmaker urged INEC to immediately enforce Sections 77(4) to 77(6) in the administration and monitoring of political parties and their electoral activities.

He said the proposed audit should determine whether candidates submitted by political parties are listed in the membership registers earlier submitted to INEC in accordance with the Electoral Act.

“This will be a litmus test for the commission; any culpable political party and candidates should be disqualified,” he said.

Balogun added that strict enforcement of the provisions would help prevent disputes and reduce litigation arising from alleged irregularities or non-compliance with the relevant sections of the Electoral Act.