The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released an updated list of candidates for the 2027 general elections, but the name of Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, the Kano State governorship candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), is still missing. Gwarzo had petitioned INEC over the omission of his name on the initial list published on October 10, 2026.
Mohammed Haruna, a National Commissioner at INEC, had previously stated that Gwarzo’s petition was considered successful, but the publication of his name was subject to the final outcome of an ex-parte order by a Kano federal high court. The updated list on INEC's website shows that Gwarzo's name, along with his deputy, is still absent, with the commission citing "Court Order" in the remarks column.
The development has raised fresh questions over the status of the NDC governorship ticket. The NDC had approached a Federal High Court in Abuja on October 27 to challenge the omission of Gwarzo's name from the gubernatorial list, seeking an order to compel INEC to include his name.
On October 29, reports emerged that INEC had approved Gwarzo’s petition, alongside that of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, among other candidates whose names were initially omitted. However, the clearance was reported to be subject to the outcome of pending court cases.
The latest update appears to have reversed the commission’s earlier position, with the new list retaining Gwarzo’s exclusion on the grounds of a court order. The previous omission of Gwarzo’s name had sparked protests and calls for clarification from the NDC, which insisted that its candidates had fulfilled all the requirements for participation in the election.
The NDC had initially suggested that the omission resulted from a computer-related error and expressed confidence that INEC would rectify it. However, INEC explained that its candidate-list decisions were influenced by legal requirements concerning the submission of political parties’ membership registers, following a September 24 Supreme Court judgment on the Electoral Act 2026.
The latest development has once again thrown the NDC’s participation in the Kano governorship race into uncertainty. The party's concerns and INEC's response have highlighted the complexities of electoral regulations and the role of the judiciary in resolving disputes related to candidate eligibility.
Key points
- INEC cites a court order for the omission of Gwarzo's name from the updated list.
- The NDC had challenged INEC's initial decision in court, seeking to compel the commission to include Gwarzo's name.
- The updated list has raised fresh questions about the NDC's participation in the Kano governorship race.
