morgANABLE politics/elections
A review of the published names showed that while several candidates whose nominations had generated legal and political controversies secured places on the list, others were excluded, raising fresh concerns about their participation in the elections
KaNo—
The release of the final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission has sparked mixed reactions across the country following the exclusion of several prominent opposition politicians from the electoral race.
Among those whose names were missing from the list were a former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami; the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu; and a former Deputy Governor of Kano State, Aminu Gwarzo, who was expected to contest on the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
The development has generated controversy within the affected political parties, with the Ogun State chapter of the PDP accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress of allegedly influencing the electoral commission to exclude its candidate.
While Pantami’s political camp appealed to supporters to remain calm, Gwarzo had yet to issue an official reaction to his omission as of the time of filing this report.
However, there was jubilation among supporters of several politicians whose eligibility had previously come under scrutiny following a recent Supreme Court judgment concerning political party membership registers and candidate nominations.
INEC published the list on its official website on Saturday, marking another significant stage in preparations for the presidential, governorship and National Assembly elections scheduled for 2027.
Among the presidential candidates listed were President Bola Tinubu of the APC, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress.
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, was also listed as a presidential candidate under the Allied Peoples Movement.
The commission equally published governorship candidates across 26 states, including Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Rivers and Zamfara.
A review of the published names showed that while several candidates whose nominations had generated legal and political controversies secured places on the list, others were excluded, raising fresh concerns about their participation in the elections.
In Ogun State, Adebutu’s running mate, Alhaja Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo, was also missing from the list.
Similarly, the Accord Party governorship candidate in the state, Alhaji Olaniyi Agbongboakala, was not included among the candidates published by the electoral body.
The omissions have renewed attention on disputes surrounding political party primaries, membership registration and compliance with statutory requirements governing the nomination of candidates.
Although the recent Supreme Court judgment raised questions about the validity of certain nominations, it remained unclear whether the exclusion of the affected politicians was directly connected to the ruling or other issues relating to their candidacies.
In Gombe State, Pantami’s omission attracted particular attention because he had emerged as the PDP governorship candidate following a fresh primary election ordered by the Federal High Court.
The court had earlier nullified his initial nomination after a legal challenge instituted by Usman Garry, who questioned the procedure through which the former minister emerged as the party’s candidate.
Garry argued that the PDP failed to conduct a valid governorship primary before announcing Pantami as its candidate on June 26, 2026.
He maintained that the party’s decision to adopt Pantami without conducting the required primary election violated its internal guidelines and relevant electoral provisions.
Delivering judgment, Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed directed the PDP to organise a fresh primary in accordance with its constitution, guidelines and applicable electoral laws.
The judgment effectively invalidated Pantami’s earlier nomination and compelled the opposition party to repeat the process.
Despite the subsequent primary, Pantami’s name was absent from the final list, creating uncertainty over the status of his candidacy.
Meanwhile, the Ogun State PDP accused the APC of exerting undue pressure on INEC to prevent Adebutu from participating in the governorship election.
In a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Kayode Adebayo, the party alleged that the ruling party was uncomfortable with Adebutu’s political strength and electoral prospects.
The PDP urged its supporters and residents of the state to remain calm, insisting that Adebutu remained its legitimate governorship candidate.
It expressed confidence that the electoral commission would eventually include his name after the issues surrounding the nomination had been addressed.
According to the party, Adebutu fulfilled the necessary membership and nomination requirements within the stipulated period.
It maintained that the governorship candidate registered as a party member, obtained a printed membership card, underwent verification and submitted the required information to INEC before the deadline.
The allegation against the APC remained unsubstantiated in the information available, while no response from the ruling party was provided.
In a related development, the inclusion of several high-profile politicians whose nominations had generated legal concerns brought relief to their supporters.
Among those who secured places on the list were the APC governorship candidate in Rivers State, Kingsley Chinda; a former Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege; and a former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Victor Ochei.
Their candidacies had attracted attention following the Supreme Court’s September 24, 2026 judgment on political party membership registers and nomination procedures.
A seven-member panel of the apex court, in a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice Adamu Jauro, upheld an appeal filed by INEC and restored Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026.
The provisions had earlier been invalidated by the Court of Appeal following a legal challenge instituted by the Zenith Labour Party.
Under the restored provisions, only individuals whose names appeared in a political party’s membership register submitted to INEC at least 21 days before its primary, congress or convention would be eligible to participate in the exercise.
Political parties are also required to use the submitted registers, while failure to comply with the statutory submission period could prevent them from sponsoring candidates for elective offices.
Section 84(2) further provides for the nomination of candidates through direct primaries or consensus arrangements.
The judgment generated concerns over the eligibility of politicians who switched political parties shortly before their respective nomination exercises.
However, the Supreme Court did not expressly disqualify Chinda, Omo-Agege, Ochei or any other individual politician, leaving questions about specific nominations dependent on compliance with the relevant legal requirements.
Despite the concerns, Chinda appeared on the list as the APC governorship candidate in Rivers State.
Omo-Agege was equally listed as the Nigeria Democratic Congress candidate for the Delta Central senatorial district, while Ochei secured the party’s ticket for the Delta North senatorial district.
Their inclusion contrasted with the omission of Pantami, Adebutu and Gwarzo, further intensifying political discussions over the application of electoral regulations.
With the publication of the candidates’ list, attention is expected to shift towards the affected political parties, possible legal challenges and INEC’s explanations regarding the disputed nominations.
The development also places renewed emphasis on the need for political parties to comply strictly with electoral laws and internal nomination procedures as preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum.
