The omission of several candidates from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s final list for the 2027 elections has opened a fresh legal and political battle as affected parties race to resolve the discrepancies before the polls.
The controversy has affected governorship candidates across several states, with political parties blaming administrative errors, internal nomination disputes and disagreements over compliance with electoral requirements.
Among the prominent candidates affected are former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, who is seeking the Gombe governorship ticket under the Peoples Democratic Party, and Oladipupo Adebutu, the PDP candidate in Ogun State.
Other affected candidates include Aminu Gwarzo of the Nigeria Democratic Congress in Kano State, Danjuma Tella La’ah of the NDC in Kaduna and the Social Democratic Party’s candidate in Benue State, Prof. Sebastine Hon.
The developments have raised concerns that disputes over who appears on the ballot could move from party offices to the courts, potentially creating another layer of litigation ahead of the elections.
INEC, however, has said some exclusions were based on the Supreme Court’s September 24, 2026, judgment on the mandatory submission of political parties’ membership registers under Sections 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act 2026.
The commission said political parties that failed to comply with the membership-register requirements were ineligible to sponsor candidates in the affected elections.
INEC also stated that parties that believe their candidates were wrongly omitted have 14 days from the publication of the list to notify the commission. The deadline for such complaints is October 24, 2026.
