Apprehension As Uncleared Guber Candidates Know Fate Today - INEC
OpenLife News reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will today, take a final decision on the chances of candidates nominated by some political parties whose names did not appear on the list of those cleared by the commission to contest the 2027 elections.
The list released on October 10, had excluded governorship candidates like the former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, who was nominated by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Gombe State, Abdulsalam Gwarzo, the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, governorship candidate for Kano State; the Kaduna NDC governorship candidate, Senator Danjuma Laah, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate for Benue State, Sebastine Hon and many others.
A source at INEC told Daily Trust yesterday that the usual weekly meeting with top officials of the commission will hold today and that the issue of the omitted candidates will be treated.
“There will be the week’s commission meeting tomorrow, (today), God willing. And most likely, we will conclude the Pantami/Gwarzo & co matter by the end of the meeting,” he stated.
INEC had after the release of the list on October 10, explained that some candidates were excluded from the list because their political parties failed to submit membership registers as required by law.
The commission said the exclusion followed a September 24, 2026, Supreme Court judgement affirming the constitutionality of Section 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which makes the submission of membership registers mandatory for political parties.
National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, had explained in a press statement that the Supreme Court, in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026, upheld the provisions requiring parties to submit their membership registers before conducting valid primaries.
The commission explained that it applied the judgement while finalising the governorship candidates’ list in compliance with Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which requires authorities to give effect to decisions of superior courts.
It added that the final lists of presidential and National Assembly candidates had already been published on September 12, 2026, 13 days before the Supreme Court delivered its judgement.
INEC said political parties that believed their candidates had been wrongly omitted could notify the commission in accordance with Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, saying the deadline for such notifications was October 24, 2026.
Following the confirmation of the submission of petitions by affected candidates and the promise by INEC to take a final decision on the matter by today, Thursday 29th, it is expected that since the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, has returned from an official trip to Gombe State and will be attending the meeting, coupled with the pressure mounted by political parties and candidates, the commission will no longer delay the matter.
INEC is expected to consider the petitions following the expiration of the statutory window for challenging nominations.
Another senior official at the commission confirmed to Daily Trust that the commission would hold a meeting today.
A source within the commission had earlier told the newspaper that several petitions were received before the deadline and were being reviewed by the relevant departments ahead of consideration by the commission.
The omissions came amid disputes over compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 governing party primaries, nomination of candidates and the publication of candidates’ particulars.
INEC had earlier indicated that aggrieved parties and other eligible persons could challenge candidates’ particulars within the prescribed period after publication.
The commission said it would examine the petitions in line with the applicable law and determine the appropriate action.
Gwarzo has sued INEC over the omission of his name and that of his running mate from the commission’s final list of candidates for the 2027 elections.
In an originating summons dated October 20, 2026, Gwarzo is asking the court to declare the omission of his name and that of his running mate, Rabiu Mustapha, unlawful, unconstitutional and a breach of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The plaintiff is seeking declarations that he and the NDC complied with all constitutional and statutory requirements for the nomination and publication of their names in INEC’s final list of governorship candidates reportedly published on October 13.
He is also asking the court to determine whether INEC can refuse to recognise the party’s nomination of the duo and whether the commission should amend and republish the list to include their names.
Among the eight reliefs sought, Gwarzo wants an order compelling INEC to recognise him and Mustapha as the NDC governorship candidates for Kano State in the 2027 general elections.
He is further asking the court to declare that the party complied with Sections 77(5) to 77(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which he said had been interpreted by the Supreme Court in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party. He also wants INEC restrained from presenting the October 13 list as final without their names.
The source, however, confirmed that the petitions would be addressed by the commission, noting that all submissions were directed to the INEC chairman for consideration with advice from the relevant departments.
“Of course, all petitions are addressed to the chairman. You need to sit down with them for the advice of the department. As a department, we have been going through all that, and they had a preliminary report,” the source said.
In Gombe, our correspondents reported that a group had organised a Qur’anic recitation and prayer session to seek divine intervention for Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami’s governorship ambition ahead of the 2027 election.
The forum said the gathering was aimed at seeking divine guidance and blessings as the state prepares for the 2027 governorship election.
The members further sought Allah’s blessings on their political and other lawful endeavours, while praying for lasting peace, stability and progress across the state and the country.
Our correspondent reports that the exclusion of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, from the final list of governorship candidates released by INEC has been generating ripples across the state.
Daily Trust’s checks revealed that while Adebutu and his running mate’s names were omitted, all other PDP candidates for the House of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senate were cleared by INEC including former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s daughter, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo.
Adebutu’s name initially appeared on the preliminary INEC list published in August 2026.
In a statement posted on his X and Facebook handles on Sunday, Adebutu said the circumstances surrounding his exclusion from the final list of governorship candidates released by INEC raised “serious questions”.
“We will pursue this matter through the appropriate channels and insist that due process is respected,” Adebutu declared in a statement he posted on X and Facebook on Sunday morning.
Adebutu said he remained a duly registered member of the PDP, having completed digital registration within the stipulated period. He added that his membership card had been printed and verified.
“My documentation was duly submitted to INEC within the prescribed time. I have not at any point left the PDP, and my commitment to our great party remains unwavering,” he said.
Political analyst, Professor Atah Pine, said the affected candidates could seek legal redress if INEC refuses to restore their names to the list.
He explained that the commission’s position was reportedly based on its examination of party membership registers, which allegedly did not contain the names of some affected candidates.
Professor Pine added that the commission’s forthcoming statement would clarify the reasons for the omission and determine the next steps for the affected candidates.
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