DUTSE, Jigawa State — The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Jigawa State has protested the omission of its deputy governorship candidate, Aminu Ibrahim Ringim, and seven other party-endorsed candidates from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s final list for the 2027 general elections.
The controversy followed INEC’s publication of the final list on Saturday, October 10, 2026. The list identified Sabo Muhammad Nakudu as the ADC’s governorship candidate in Jigawa but named Musa Ya’u Balarabe as his running mate instead of Ringim, whom the party says it officially submitted.
The development has raised questions about the party’s candidate-submission process and the legal requirements governing participation in the forthcoming elections.
ADC Insists Ringim Remains Its Candidate
The ADC’s Deputy State Chairman, Nuraddeen Jidawa, confirmed that Ringim’s name was missing from the list during a telephone interview with PUNCH.
Jidawa said the party maintained that Ringim was its duly submitted deputy governorship candidate and disputed the list published by the electoral commission.
He also disclosed that seven other candidates endorsed by the party and reportedly submitted to INEC in line with the applicable guidelines were absent from the final list.
“As far as the party is concerned, Aminu Ibrahim Ringim remains the name officially submitted to INEC as running mate to its gubernatorial candidate, Sabo Muhammad Nakudu,” Jidawa said. <Cite refs={[“turn232297search0”]}/>
He added that the party would continue engaging the electoral commission through lawful means, stressing that it expected the applicable constitutional and electoral provisions to be respected.
Ringim reportedly confirmed that his name had been omitted when contacted by PUNCH but declined to comment further, directing the newspaper to party officials.
INEC Says The Published List Is Final
INEC’s Head of Department in Jigawa State, Adamu A. Sawaba, said the list displayed at the commission’s state headquarters was the final list for the 2027 elections.
Sawaba acknowledged that the commission had received complaints concerning the names of some candidates. However, he said INEC could not independently alter the published list simply because a political party or candidate disputed an entry.
He advised aggrieved candidates and political parties to seek redress in court, explaining that the commission would comply with a court order directing a change.
According to Sawaba, the commission’s actions were guided by law, and judicial intervention would be required to resolve disputes over the list. <Cite refs={[“turn232297search0”]}/>
Electoral Act Membership Rules Under Scrutiny
The dispute comes amid wider controversy over the eligibility of candidates appearing on INEC’s final lists across several states.
A recent Supreme Court judgment restored provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 governing party membership registers and participation in party primaries. The provisions restrict participation in party primaries, congresses and conventions to eligible party members whose names appear on membership registers submitted to INEC within the prescribed period. <Cite refs={[“turn232297search1”]}/>
INEC’s Jigawa official suggested that the dispute over some candidates might be connected to the statutory requirements for party membership registration.
However, the report did not establish that this was the confirmed reason for Ringim’s omission or for the absence of the seven other ADC-backed candidates. The specific reasons for each omission remain unclear from the available information.
Dispute Adds To Election Preparations
The disagreement comes as political parties prepare for the 2027 governorship elections and other electoral contests.
For the ADC in Jigawa, the immediate issue is whether its preferred candidates will be recognised on the official list. For INEC, the published list reflects the commission’s position under the electoral rules, subject to any changes required by a court.
The dispute also highlights the importance of political parties complying with nomination procedures, membership-register requirements and statutory deadlines.
The ADC has indicated that it will continue pursuing the matter through lawful channels. Any eventual change to the list will depend on the applicable legal process and any binding decision by a competent court.
As of the time of the PUNCH report, the commission had not announced a specific correction to Ringim’s entry or the other disputed names.
