The political future of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, former Ogun State governorship candidate Ladi Adebutu and Kano politician Aminu Gwarzo remains uncertain after the deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for complaints over omitted candidates expired.
The deadline ended on Saturday, October 24, following the commission’s publication of its final list of governorship candidates for the February 6, 2027 elections. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) have challenged the exclusion of their respective candidates and are seeking to have the matter resolved.
However, INEC has yet to announce whether it will revise the list following the representations made by the affected parties, leaving the candidates’ participation in the elections in doubt.
Pantami emerged as the PDP’s governorship candidate in Gombe State after a rerun primary conducted 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.
His exclusion followed a legal dispute over the process that produced him as the party’s candidate. A Federal High Court in Gombe had nullified his initial emergence and ordered a fresh primary, which Pantami subsequently won.
The PDP has maintained that it complied with the requirements for nominating its candidates and has urged INEC to correct what it considers an erroneous omission.
An aide to Pantami said the former minister intended to pursue available legal options to challenge the commission’s decision. According to the aide, Pantami’s legal team had written to INEC demanding that the matter be addressed.
The party has also taken steps to challenge the exclusion through legal channels. On October 15, the PDP’s National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, deposed to an affidavit at the Federal High Court Registry in Abuja challenging the omission of Pantami and Adebutu from the final list.
In Ogun State, Adebutu’s exclusion has similarly generated controversy within the PDP. The former governorship candidate’s name was missing from INEC’s final list, despite the party’s insistence that he met the requirements for nomination.
The development followed concerns about whether Adebutu’s name appeared on the party membership register submitted to the electoral commission. The Ogun PDP rejected allegations of non-compliance, maintaining that it had fulfilled the applicable legal requirements.
Afolabi Orekoya, director of media for the Ladi Adebutu Campaign Organisation, previously expressed confidence that INEC would restore Adebutu’s name to the list. The Ogun PDP chairman, Abayomi Tella, also described the omission as an error and said the party expected the commission to correct it.
The expiration of the deadline, however, has increased uncertainty over whether the candidates will be included in the final list and what legal avenues remain available to challenge their exclusion.
Gwarzo, the NDC’s governorship candidate in Kano State, is facing a similar situation alongside his running mate, Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso.
The NDC has rejected their exclusion and said it had written to INEC regarding the matter. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, said the commission acknowledged receipt of its letters but had yet to provide a substantive response.
The party has indicated that it may pursue legal action if the issue is not resolved.
INEC has attributed the exclusions to compliance requirements under the Electoral Act 2026, particularly provisions governing political parties’ membership registers.
Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) require political parties to submit their membership registers within the prescribed period and use those registers for their primaries, congresses and conventions.
The commission’s position followed a Supreme Court judgment delivered on September 24 in the case involving INEC and the Zenith Labour Party. The ruling upheld the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act, including the requirement for political parties to submit their membership registers within the stipulated period.
INEC subsequently applied the judgment when preparing its final list of governorship candidates, arguing that parties that failed to satisfy the requirements were ineligible to sponsor candidates in the affected elections.
Under Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, parties that believe their candidates were wrongly omitted from the list were required to notify the commission in writing, accompanied by an affidavit, within 14 days of publication.
The deadline for such complaints was October 24.
The controversy has also prompted calls for greater transparency in the commission’s handling of candidate nominations. The National Association of Achievers Movement has urged INEC to explain the exclusion of Pantami, Adebutu and Gwarzo and clarify the legal basis for decisions involving other candidates whose nomination processes have attracted public scrutiny.
The group said its position was not a demand for the automatic reinstatement of excluded candidates or the disqualification of those whose names appeared on the list. Instead, it called for INEC to demonstrate that the same legal standards had been applied consistently and transparently.
With the deadline now expired, the immediate focus is on whether INEC will respond to the parties’ complaints and whether the affected candidates can secure relief through the courts.
For Pantami, Adebutu and Gwarzo, the outcome could determine whether they remain in contention for their respective state governorship elections in February 2027. Until the commission clarifies its position or a competent court issues a relevant decision, their political ambitions remain uncertain.
