PDP, NDC Fault INEC Over Omission of Guber Candidates From 2027 List
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) have faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the omission of their governorship candidates in Ogun, Gombe and Kano states from the final list of candidates for the 2027 elections.
The affected candidates are Ladi Adebutu of the PDP in Ogun, Professor Isa Ali Pantami in Gombe, and Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo of the NDC in Kano. Their running mates were also reportedly excluded from the list published on Saturday.
The development has triggered protests, calls for clarification and allegations of possible political interference, while the NDC has threatened legal action to secure the inclusion of its candidates.
The PDP said it was engaging INEC to resolve the omissions, urging affected candidates and supporters to remain calm while discussions continued.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, described the development as serious and assured members that further updates would be communicated as the matter progressed.
In Kano, the NDC attributed Gwarzo’s omission to a possible technical error and expressed confidence that the issue would be resolved.
The party’s state chairman, Hussaini Isah Mairiga, insisted that Gwarzo had met the membership requirements to contest and said efforts were ongoing to secure his inclusion, alongside that of the party’s Kano North senatorial candidate, Nasiru Sule Garo.
The NDC’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, said the party would explore all available legal options to ensure that Gwarzo and his running mate, Mustapha Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, were included on the list.
INEC’s Kano office said it had forwarded the names of aspirants to the commission’s national headquarters in Abuja but did not explain why the candidates were missing from the published list.
In Ogun, Adebutu vowed to challenge his exclusion, alleging that pressure from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) might have influenced the development.
He maintained that he had completed his PDP registration within the stipulated period, obtained his membership card and submitted the required documents to INEC.
Adebutu also said INEC officials observed the PDP primary that produced him as the party’s candidate, arguing that his omission was questionable because other PDP candidates contesting legislative seats in Ogun appeared on the published list.
However, INEC’s Oyo State Head of Publicity, Olayiwola Awolowo, said the commission published the names submitted by political parties, insisting that responsibility for the omission rested with the parties.
The Social Democratic Party’s governorship candidates in Oyo and Benue states, Mogaji Olusegun Agboola and Professor Sebastine Hon, were also reportedly omitted from the list but expressed confidence that the discrepancies would be corrected.
Agboola described his omission as a minor error that could affect supporters’ morale but insisted that it would not weaken his determination to contest the election.
Hon similarly said he had engaged the SDP national leadership and INEC, adding that the commission had assured him that the omission would be corrected.
The controversy comes amid renewed legal scrutiny of political parties’ compliance with the Electoral Act 2026. On September 24, 2026, the Supreme Court restored Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Act, which had earlier been declared unconstitutional by the Court of Appeal.
The provisions include requirements governing party membership registers, participation in primaries and the submission of membership records to INEC within stipulated deadlines.
Meanwhile, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has called for a transparent review of the disputed lists, urging INEC to explain the reasons for each omission and promptly correct any verified administrative errors within the law.
CISLAC Executive Director, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, warned that unresolved disputes could undermine public confidence in the 2027 elections, stressing that both INEC and political parties must be held accountable for compliance with electoral rules.
The Campaign for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) also urged INEC to ensure a level playing field for all parties and candidates.
Its National President, Yinka Folarin, said candidates who believed they had been unfairly excluded should seek redress through appropriate legal channels, while acknowledging that INEC had the right to exclude candidates who failed to meet statutory requirements.
The groups warned that the commission must demonstrate impartiality and transparency to prevent disputes over candidate nominations from eroding confidence in the electoral process.
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