The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published its final list of candidates for the February 6, 2027 governorship elections. The list, signed by INEC Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, and published on the INEC website, shows 16 governorship candidates of other political parties in Gombe State and 13 in Ogun State, with no PDP candidates listed. The PDP governorship candidates for Gombe and Ogun states, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate in Kano State, are missing from the list.
The missing candidates are Ali Pantami of PDP in Gombe State, Aminu Gwarzo of NDC in Kano State, and Ladi Adebutu of PDP in Ogun State. However, INEC cleared the APC governorship candidate in Rivers State, Kingsley Chinda, for the 2027 governorship election in the state. Chinda was number five in the 19-man list of Rivers State governorship candidates released by the electoral commission.
The Kano State Chairman of NDC, Alhaji Hussaini Mairiga, has insisted that Gwarzo remains the governorship candidate of the party in the state. Despite this, Gwarzo’s removal from the final list means he cannot contest the governorship election on the NDC platform. INEC did not publicly state the specific reason for dropping the candidates’ names, but the decision is believed to be connected to a Supreme Court ruling in the case of INEC v. Zenith Labour Party.
The Supreme Court ruling confirmed the continued validity of Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026. This section, along with Section 84(2), bars parties from fielding candidates whose names were not in the membership register submitted to INEC within the stipulated time. Pantami, who was on the provisional list published on August 29, was missing from the new list. He had earlier emerged as a PDP candidate after dumping APC on May 19.
Pantami won the PDP primary but faced a court challenge from Ahmed Mailantarki, one of the aspirants who sought the PDP ticket. A Federal High Court in Gombe nullified the election and ordered a fresh primary, which Pantami won again. However, the September 24 Supreme Court judgment posed a significant obstacle to his participation in the election. Mohammed Haruna, an INEC National Commissioner, had hinted that in line with the Supreme Court ruling, some parties would not field candidates in 2027.
Under Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, parties have 14 days to notify INEC in writing, with an affidavit, if a nominated candidate’s name is missing. In Ogun State, neither Adebutu nor his running mate, Kolapo-Sowunmi, appeared in the list, raising questions about the status of the PDP’s governorship ticket ahead of the poll. Speculations have emerged that Adebutu’s name may not have been included in the party register submitted to INEC, as required under the law.
The release of the final list is in line with the promise of INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, who spoke at a press conference in Abuja early last week. The commission’s decision has significant implications for the upcoming governorship elections in Gombe, Kano, and Ogun states. The affected parties and candidates will need to take necessary actions within the stipulated timeframe to resolve the issues and ensure their participation in the elections.
Key points
- The INEC final list excludes PDP candidates in Gombe and Ogun states and the NDC candidate in Kano State.
- The exclusion is believed to be connected to a Supreme Court ruling on the Electoral Act 2026.
- The affected candidates and parties have a limited timeframe to resolve the issues and ensure their participation in the elections.
