…as INEC’s Saturday deadline for addressing complaints on omission expires
Following Saturday’s expiration of the deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission to address complaints on the omission of candidates from its final list for the 2027 elections, the governorship ambitions of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Ali Pantami; Ogun State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Oladipupo Adebutu and their Kano State counterpart of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Gwarzo is now hanging in the balance.
Although the Peoples Democratic Party and the Nigeria Democratic Congress filed complaints with INEC about the exclusion of their candidates, the commission has yet to indicate whether it will revise the list following the parties’ representations.
It was gathered that negotiations and legal efforts by the affected parties had yet to yield any positive result, leaving Pantami, Adebutu and the NDC governorship candidate in Kano State, Aminu Gwarzo, uncertain about their participation in the February 6, 2027 governorship elections.
INEC had said its decision to exclude them from the candidates’ list was based on the Supreme Court judgment in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, delivered on September 24, 2026, which upheld Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The Electoral Act’s provisions require political parties to submit their membership registers to INEC within the stipulated period and use the registers for their primaries, congresses and conventions.
INEC subsequently gave political parties until October 24 to notify it of candidates allegedly omitted from the final list, which was published on October 10, in line with Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
But the affected parties insisted that they complied with the requirements and urged the commission to correct what they described as wrongful omissions.
PDP has maintained that it fulfilled the requirements for the nomination of its governorship candidates in Gombe and Ogun states.
Its National Publicity Secretary, Mohammed Jungudo, had said its leadership and the affected candidates’ legal teams had approached INEC over the omissions.
He said the party would consider legal action if INEC failed to resolve the matter within the 14-day window.
On October 15, the PDP, through its National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, deposed to an affidavit at the Federal High Court Registry in Abuja, challenging the omission of Pantami and Adebutu from the final list.
The affidavit stated that the candidates had met the relevant requirements and urged INEC to restore their names.
In Ogun State, the Director of Media for the Ladi Adebutu Campaign Organisation, Afolabi Orekoya, expressed confidence that INEC would include the former governorship candidate in its revised list.
He said the PDP had approached INEC and completed the necessary processes to address the omission.
“We have approached INEC, and we have done all the necessary things required of us. We are very confident that by October 24, the name of Hon. Ladi Adebutu will be published by INEC in the revised list of candidates,” Orekoya said.
He added that Adebutu remained optimistic about contesting the election and had continued to encourage party members.
Similarly, the PDP Chairman in Ogun State, Abayomi Tella, described the omission as an error, insisting that the party had complied with the constitution and the Electoral Act.
He said the party had lodged its complaint within the period provided by law and expected INEC to correct the omission.
“The party views the omission as an error by INEC; we are very confident and optimistic that INEC will restore the name because every requirement of the law has been fulfilled,” Tella said.
He added that the party was not perturbed by the development because it believed the commission would take the necessary action.
In Gombe State, an aide to Pantami, who declined to be identified, said the former minister would pursue available legal options to challenge his exclusion.
He said Pantami’s lawyers had written to INEC, demanding that the commission address the omission.
“Malam has chosen to fight this illegality. We have appealed this illegality. You saw the letter written by Senior Advocates of Nigeria and their 72-hour order. We have chosen to appeal this case, and until we get a solution, we will not back out,” the aide said.
Pantami’s name was omitted from the final list despite his emergence as the PDP governorship candidate following a court-ordered rerun of the party’s primary on September 29.
His name had appeared on INEC’s provisional list published on August 29 but was missing from the final list released on October 10.
Similarly, NDC rejected the exclusion of its Kano State governorship candidate, Gwarzo, and his running mate, Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso.
NDC National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, said that the party had written to INEC and received acknowledgements of its letters but was yet to receive a substantive response.
He said the party would explore legal options if the commission failed to address the omission.
