EDITED BY: EZINWANNE OKWUOLISA
Political parties and their candidates have begun moves to resolve discrepancies in the Independent National Electoral Commission’s final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections, following the omission of several governorship and other candidates across the country.
The development has triggered protests and anxiety among affected parties, with the Peoples Democratic Party, Nigeria Democratic Congress, African Democratic Congress and other political platforms engaging the electoral commission over the missing names.
While some parties suspect administrative or technical errors, others are grappling with internal leadership disputes, nomination controversies and pending court cases, with the Action Alliance threatening legal action to secure the inclusion of its affected candidates.
Among the prominent politicians omitted from the list are former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Pantami, the PDP governorship candidate in Gombe State, and the party’s Ogun State contestant, Oladipupo Adebutu.
Other affected candidates include Aminu Gwarzo of the NDC in Kano State, former senator Danjuma Tella La’ah in Kaduna State and the Social Democratic Party’s governorship candidate in Benue State, Prof Sebastine Hon (SAN).
Pantami, Adebutu and other affected candidates have urged their supporters to remain calm, expressing hope that the discrepancies can be resolved through engagement with INEC and the appropriate legal channels. The PDP said it was already holding discussions with the commission, while other parties insisted that they had complied with the relevant nomination guidelines and submission deadlines.
However, not all omissions have been attributed to administrative errors. In Kwara State, the African Action Congress governorship candidate, Duwatsu Musa, was excluded because he had yet to attain the constitutionally prescribed minimum age of 35 for governorship candidates.
In Jigawa, the ADC protested the omission of its endorsed deputy governorship candidate, Aminu Ringim, and about seven other candidates from the published list.
The controversy has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the omissions, the eligibility of affected candidates and the remedies available to political parties ahead of the elections. As the parties seek clarification and possible corrections, the unresolved cases threaten to trigger further legal disputes over who will appear on the ballot in 2027
INEC’s final list, signed by the commission’s Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, contains the names of candidates and their running mates cleared to contest the 2027
general elections.
However, the omission of candidates nominated by some political parties has raised concerns about their participation in the polls and the options available to secure their inclusion.
The Peoples Democratic Party said it had begun engaging INEC to resolve the omission of its governorship candidates in Ogun and Gombe states, assuring affected candidates and supporters that it was treating the matter with the seriousness it deserved.
In a statement on Sunday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, said the PDP was pursuing an amicable resolution in line with the law and established electoral guidelines.
The party urged affected candidates, members and supporters to remain calm while discussions with the commission continued.
