Political parties demand explanations and consider legal action after prominent governorship candidates were omitted from INEC’s published lists, raising concerns ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 elections.
Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is facing growing pressure from political parties over the omission of several prominent candidates from its published lists for the 2027 general elections. The controversy has affected governorship and legislative contests across multiple states, prompting demands for corrections, discussions with electoral officials and threats of legal action. Among those excluded are former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Isa Ali Pantami, Ogun State politician Oladipupo Adebutu and former Kano State Deputy Governor Aminu Gwarzo. Their exclusion has raised questions about nomination procedures and the ability of affected parties to participate in the elections.
The dispute followed INEC’s publication of candidate lists on Saturday, October 10, 2026, an important stage in preparations for the February 6, 2027 governorship and State House of Assembly elections. The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027. The documents, signed by INEC Secretary Rose Oriaran-Anthony, identify candidates and their running mates across participating states. While some political parties welcomed the inclusion of their nominees, others complained that individuals they had nominated were missing or had been replaced. The disagreements have raised questions about party membership requirements, candidate registration, internal leadership disputes and the circumstances under which the electoral commission can recognise or reject nominations.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is among those seeking clarification. Its governorship candidates in Ogun and Gombe states, Oladipupo Adebutu and Isa Pantami, were absent from the published lists. INEC’s documents contained 13 governorship candidates in Ogun and 16 in Gombe, with no PDP candidate listed in either state. In a statement on Sunday, October 11, Jungudo Mohammed, identified as the national publicity secretary of a PDP faction, said the party was engaging INEC to resolve the omissions in accordance with electoral laws and guidelines. He urged affected candidates, party members and supporters to remain calm while efforts continued to address the discrepancies.
Adebutu maintained that he was a duly registered PDP member and had complied with the requirements for nomination. He said his digital membership registration was completed within the stipulated period, his membership card had been verified and the necessary documents submitted to INEC. He also insisted that electoral officials monitored the governorship primary that produced him. Adebutu accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of exerting pressure to prevent his participation, pointing to the inclusion of other PDP candidates from Ogun State. However, Kayode Odunaro, a media adviser to APC governorship candidate Senator Solomon Adeola, rejected the accusation and argued that the PDP should take responsibility for any failure to comply with electoral procedures. The allegation of improper APC interference has not been independently established.
In Gombe State, Pantami’s supporters also expressed concern over his exclusion. The former minister emerged as the PDP governorship candidate following a fresh primary election held on September 29, 2026, after a Federal High Court order required another nomination exercise. His campaign spokesperson, Professor Suleiman Mohammed, expressed confidence that the dispute could be resolved through lawful procedures. He said legal representatives and party officials were engaging the electoral commission and urged supporters to remain patient. The omission has left the PDP without a listed governorship candidate in Gombe, pending any lawful correction or further decision concerning the nomination.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) is facing similar difficulties in Kano and Kaduna states. In Kano, the party protested the omission of governorship candidate Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo and his running mate, Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso, insisting that their names were submitted within the prescribed deadlines. State chairman Hussaini Mairiga suggested that an administrative error might have been responsible, while party officials sought clarification. In Kaduna, former senator Danjuma Tella La’ah was excluded from the governorship list. NDC chairman Mordecai Ibrahim attributed the problem to discrepancies in the candidate’s online registration, explaining that repeated attempts during network difficulties had resulted in inconsistencies involving his name. The Kaduna dispute also follows earlier disagreements within the party over its preferred candidate.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has challenged omissions in Jigawa State, where its endorsed deputy governorship candidate, Aminu Ringim, was missing from the published list and Musa Ya’u Balarabe appeared instead. The party said approximately seven other candidates were also affected. Deputy State Chairman Nuraddeen Jidawa maintained that the original nominations had been submitted correctly and said the party would pursue available legal procedures to secure corrections. Other affected parties include the Social Democratic Party in Benue State, where governorship candidate Professor Sebastine Hon was omitted, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party in Bauchi State, where officials questioned the absence of their candidate, Shuaibu Ahmed.
The Action Alliance has also threatened legal action over the exclusion of several governorship and legislative candidates. Its National Chairman, Aare Adekunle Omo-Aje, said the party’s legal team was preparing a formal complaint to INEC. The affected governorship candidates identified by the party include Eke Israel in Rivers State, Titilola-Sodo Dayo in Oyo State, Abdullah-Bukharin in Nasarawa State and Zubairu Musa in Bauchi State. Omo-Aje insisted that the party had complied with nomination deadlines and warned that candidates should not be excluded because of possible administrative or technical errors. The party’s position adds to pressure on the commission to explain the different reasons behind the omissions.
However, not every exclusion has been attributed to a suspected registration mistake. In Kwara State, African Action Congress governorship candidate Duwatsu Musa was excluded because he had not attained the constitutional minimum age of 35 required to contest the office. Other disputes involve rival party factions, contested primaries and questions about whether nominees were properly registered members of the parties presenting them. In Lagos State, disagreements have also emerged over the replacement of candidates who reportedly won party primaries, including some contestants seeking seats in the state House of Assembly. These circumstances suggest that complaints may require different legal or administrative remedies rather than a single correction covering every affected candidate.
The controversy has renewed attention on Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, which regulate political party membership records and candidate nomination procedures. On September 24, 2026, the Supreme Court upheld these provisions, overturning an earlier Court of Appeal ruling. The law requires political parties to submit their membership registers to INEC within the prescribed period, with noncompliance potentially affecting their ability to field candidates. INEC confirmed receiving the certified judgment on October 6, while the House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters subsequently urged the commission to enforce the requirements. The ruling has added a legal dimension to the dispute, although INEC has not publicly established whether these provisions explain every candidate’s omission from the published lists.
Amid the controversy, INEC issued a separate warning on Monday, October 12, against a fraudulent online publication claiming to announce governorship candidates in Zamfara, Gombe, Delta, Plateau, Yobe and Kano states. The commission said the document did not originate from INEC and urged Nigerians to disregard it. The warning concerned a false publication circulating online and did not resolve the genuine omissions being challenged by political parties. INEC advised the public to rely on its official website, verified social media accounts and formal announcements for accurate election information, as uncertainty over candidate lists continued to attract attention.
The disputes have implications beyond the affected politicians. Political parties need certainty about their candidates to organise campaigns, mobilise supporters and prepare for election activities, while voters require reliable information about the choices that will appear on their ballots. Under Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, political parties have 14 days to notify INEC in writing, supported by a sworn affidavit, if their nominated candidates are omitted from published lists. Unresolved disagreements could still lead to court proceedings or changes to candidate lists where permitted by law. With the governorship and State House of Assembly elections scheduled for February 6, 2027, affected parties are seeking clarification from INEC while considering their legal options. For voters and candidates alike, the immediate concern is whether the outstanding nomination disputes can be resolved in time to provide certainty before voting begins.
