Governorship candidates excluded from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) final list for the February 6, 2027 elections will learn their fate today when the commission holds a crucial meeting.
Among those affected are the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates in Gombe and Ogun states — Professor Isa Pantami and Ladi Adebutu — as well as the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidates in Kano and Kaduna, Aminu Gwarzo and Danjuma Laah.
Four other aspirants in Bauchi State were also dropped: Abdullahi Yakubu of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Musa Zubairu of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Ahmed Shuaibu of the Action Alliance (AA), and Mohammed Aminu of the Accord Party.
INEC National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna confirmed to Punch on Wednesday that the matter is on the agenda of today’s commission meeting. “As for the final list of candidates, we will meet on it at our next commission meeting on Thursday,” he said.
The commission said it excluded the candidates because their parties failed to submit membership registers within the stipulated legal window of April 21 to May 10, 2026. INEC based its decision on the September 24, 2026 Supreme Court judgment that upheld Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, making the submission of membership registers a precondition for valid primaries.
The electoral body added that parties that defaulted had forfeited the right to field candidates and that it was bound by Section 287(1) of the Constitution to enforce the court’s decision.
The affected parties have strongly disputed INEC’s position, insisting they met all legal requirements. The exclusions have already sparked protests and multiple lawsuits.
The PDP has formally written to the commission over Pantami and Adebutu. On October 15, its National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, filed an affidavit at the Federal High Court Registry in Abuja challenging the omissions. Party spokesman Mohammed Jungudo warned that the PDP would proceed to court if the issue is not resolved.
In Ogun State, PDP Chairman Abayomi Tella described the omission as an error and expressed confidence that the names would be restored. “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.
An aide to Pantami stated that the former minister would pursue all legal avenues to reverse his exclusion. Pantami, who won a court-ordered rerun of the PDP primary on September 29, appeared on INEC’s provisional list published on August 29 but was missing from the final list.
The NDC has also protested the removal of Gwarzo and his running mate, Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso. National Publicity Secretary Osa Director said the party had received acknowledgements of its letters from INEC but was still awaiting a substantive response.
Under Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, parties had until October 24 — 14 days after the publication of the final list — to notify INEC of any wrongly omitted candidates.
All eyes are now on today’s INEC meeting as the commission decides whether to uphold or reverse the exclusions ahead of the 2027 governorship contests.