INEC to Decide Fate of Pantami, Adebutu, Other Excluded Governorship Candidates

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is expected to consider the exclusion of several governorship candidates from its final list for the February 6, 2027 elections at a meeting scheduled for Thursday.

Among the affected candidates are the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) flagbearers in Gombe and Ogun states, Professor Isa Pantami and Ladi Adebutu, whose omissions have triggered protests and legal challenges.

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INEC National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna confirmed on Wednesday that the issue was on the agenda of the commission’s meeting.

“As for the final list of candidates, we will meet on it at our next commission meeting on Thursday,” Haruna told Punch.

PDP Challenges Exclusion of Pantami, Adebutu

The PDP has challenged INEC’s decision to omit Pantami and Adebutu from the final list, insisting that it fulfilled the legal requirements for their candidacies.

The party’s National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, filed an affidavit at the Federal High Court Registry in Abuja on October 15 over the omissions.

PDP spokesman Mohammed Jungudo said the party would approach the court if the matter was not resolved.

In Ogun State, PDP Chairman Abayomi Tella described Adebutu’s omission as an error and expressed confidence that INEC would restore his name.

“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 also said the former minister would challenge his exclusion through all available legal means.

Pantami had won a court-ordered rerun of the PDP governorship primary on September 29. His name appeared on INEC’s provisional list published on August 29 but was missing from the final list released on October 10.

Other Governorship Candidates Affected

The dispute extends beyond the PDP candidates in Gombe and Ogun.

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidates in Kano and Kaduna states, Aminu Gwarzo and Danjuma Laah, were also excluded.

In Bauchi State, four candidates were omitted: 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 Accord.

The affected parties have disputed INEC’s position and maintained that they complied with the requirements for participating in the elections.

The NDC has also protested the exclusion of Gwarzo and his running mate, Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, said INEC had acknowledged receipt of its letters but had yet to respond.

Why INEC Excluded the Candidates

INEC said the candidates were omitted because their parties failed to submit their membership registers within the prescribed legal timeframe.

The commission relied on the Supreme Court’s September 24, 2026 judgment, which affirmed Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, concerning the submission of party membership registers as a precondition for valid primaries.

According to INEC, the court also upheld its timetable requiring political parties to submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.

The commission maintained that parties that failed to meet the deadline forfeited the right to field candidates and said it was constitutionally bound to enforce court decisions under Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution.

The affected parties, however, insist they met the necessary requirements, leaving the dispute unresolved ahead of the elections.

Deadline for Complaints Expired October 24

Political parties had until October 24, 14 days after the publication of the final candidate list, to notify INEC of candidates who had been wrongly omitted, under Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026.

The commission’s Thursday meeting is expected to consider the issue, although no final decision on the affected candidates was contained in the information available before the meeting.

The outcome could determine whether the candidates’ names are restored or whether the dispute proceeds further through the courts as preparations continue for the February 6, 2027 governorship elections.