2027: Protest, relief as INEC releases final candidates’ list

The release of the final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission has sparked mixed reactions following the omission of prominent opposition figures, including a former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami; Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu; and the Nigeria Democratic Congress governorship candidate in Kano State, Aminu Gwarzo.

While the Ogun PDP accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of mounting pressure on INEC to exclude its candidate, Pantami’s camp urged supporters to remain calm. Gwarzo, a former Deputy Governor of Kano, is yet to react.

There was jubilation among supporters of politicians whose names came under scrutiny following a recent Supreme Court ruling that raised doubts about their qualification.

INEC published the names of candidates contesting the presidential, governorship and National Assembly elections on its website on Saturday, marking a significant stage in preparations for the 2027 polls.

Sunday PUNCH review of the list shows that it contains 18 presidential candidates.

Among the prominent figures whose names appeared on the list were President Bola Tinubu of the APC, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, listed under the Allied Peoples Movement.

The list also includes governorship candidates across 26 states, including Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Rivers and Zamfara.

A review of the published names by Sunday PUNCH showed that while several candidates whose nominations had attracted attention made the final list, others were absent, leaving their political camps to confront questions over their participation in the elections.

Among those missing were Pantami, the PDP governorship candidate in Gombe State, and Adebutu, the party’s candidate in Ogun State.

Adebutu’s running mate, Alhaja Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo, was also absent. The Accord Party governorship candidate in Ogun, Alhaji Olaniyi Agbongboakala, was similarly missing.

The omissions have drawn attention to disputes surrounding party primaries and the legal requirements for nominating candidates, particularly following a Supreme Court judgment on the conditions political parties must satisfy in selecting candidates for elective offices.

The judgment had raised questions about the validity of some nominations, including compliance with party membership requirements and the conduct of primary elections.

It was not immediately clear whether the omissions of the affected candidates were directly linked to the judgment or to other issues concerning their nominations.

Pantami’s omission

In Gombe State, Pantami’s absence from the list raised questions because he had emerged as the PDP’s candidate in a fresh governorship primary conducted after a court ruling invalidated his earlier nomination.

The Federal High Court sitting in Gombe had nullified Pantami’s initial emergence as the party’s candidate and ordered a fresh primary after a suit challenging the process was filed by Usman Garry.

Garry argued that the PDP failed to conduct a valid governorship primary before announcing Pantami as its candidate on June 26, 2026.

He contended that the party’s adoption of Pantami without the required primary violated its guidelines and relevant electoral laws.

In her judgment, Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed directed the party to conduct a fresh primary in accordance with its guidelines and applicable electoral laws.

The ruling effectively set aside Pantami’s earlier emergence and required the party to repeat the nomination process.

Following the judgment, the PDP conducted a fresh governorship primary on Tuesday across the 114 wards in Gombe State’s 11 local government areas.

Pantami won the rerun with 2,024 votes, defeating former House of Representatives member Khamisu Mailantarki, who scored 389 votes, and former Gombe State House of Assembly member Usman Aliyu Garry, who polled 112 votes.

Despite his victory in the fresh primary, Pantami’s name and that of the PDP were absent from INEC’s published list of governorship candidates for the state.

The spokesperson for the Pantamiyya Movement, Professor Suleiman Mohammed, urged supporters to remain calm, describing the development as a temporary challenge rather than a final determination of the former minister’s political future.

In a statement shared on Pantami’s Facebook account, Mohammed said the camp was aware of the omission but remained hopeful that the issue would be resolved as the electoral process continued.

“This is a temporary challenge and a normal part of the electoral process, not a final determination, in sha Allah,” the statement read.

The statement did not, however, specify the legal or administrative steps the party or Pantami’s camp intended to take to address the omission.

The development leaves the PDP facing questions over its representation in the Gombe governorship race, particularly after the party conducted a repeat primary in compliance with the court’s directive.

The commission’s published list showed Bala Bello as the ADC candidate, Ardo Kumo as the NDC candidate and Gwamna Isyaku as the APC candidate in Gombe.

Ogun PDP alleges interference

In Ogun State, the PDP accused the APC of mounting undue pressure on INEC to exclude Adebutu from the final list, alleging that the ruling party feared losing the governorship election.

The allegation was contained in a statement issued by the PDP’s state Publicity Secretary, Kayode Adebayo, who urged residents and party supporters not to panic over the omission.

The party maintained that Adebutu remained its duly nominated candidate and expressed confidence that his name would eventually be published by the electoral commission.

According to the PDP, Adebutu registered as a party member within the stipulated period, obtained a printed membership card, underwent verification and submitted the required information to INEC before the deadline.

The party said the omission would not deter its efforts to challenge the APC in the 2027 election.

“The public should be informed that the omission of our candidate’s name in INEC’s list is as a result of the undue pressure mounted by the ruling party on INEC out of fear of losing the election,” the statement said.

The published list included 13 governorship candidates for the state, among them Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, of the APC; Jimi Lawal of the ADC; Babajide Rotimi of the Allied Peoples Movement; Adenuga Adekunle of the Boot Party; and Akinbola Rotham of the New Nigeria Peoples Party. The Accord Party candidate, Agbongboakala, was also missing from the list.

Chinda, Omo-Agege, Ochei make the cut

The list also featured some high-profile candidates whose nominations came under scrutiny following the Supreme Court’s ruling on political party membership registers and candidate selection.

On September 24, 2026, a seven-member panel of the Supreme Court, in a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice Adamu Jauro, upheld an appeal filed by INEC and restored Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, which the Court of Appeal had earlier invalidated. The case originated from a suit filed by the Zenith Labour Party challenging the constitutionality of the provisions.

Under the restored provisions, only members whose names appear in a political party’s membership register submitted to INEC at least 21 days before its primary, congress or convention may participate in the exercise.

Parties must use the submitted register, while failure to submit it within the statutory period prevents a party from fielding candidates. Section 84(2) also provides for candidate nominations through direct primaries or consensus.

The judgment raised questions about politicians who changed parties shortly before their primaries, including Kingsley Chinda, Ovie Omo-Agege and Victor Ochei.

However, the Supreme Court did not expressly disqualify any of the politicians, meaning the validity of their individual nominations depends on compliance with the applicable legal requirements.

But the APC governorship candidate in Rivers State, Chinda, and a former Deputy Senate President, Omo-Agege of the Nigeria Democratic Congress contesting Delta Central senatorial district made the list.

Also on the list is the former Delta State House of Assembly Speaker, Ochei, contesting the Delta North senatorial list under the Nigeria Democratic Congress.

Other candidates

The list also provides a clearer picture of the candidates expected to contest governorship elections in the 26 states covered by the publication.

In Kwara State, Zakari Mohammed is listed as the ADC candidate, Yakubu Danladi Salihu as the APC candidate, Abdulmumin Ajia as the NDC candidate and Kawu Bolakale as the PDP candidate.

In Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour is listed for the ADC, Obafemi Hamzat for the APC, Doherty Adeshina for the NDC and Doherty Olugbemiga for the PDP.

In Abia, the candidates include Kalu Agu of the ADC, Ndubuisi Ogah of the NDC, Kelechi Anosike of the PDP and Eric Chinemeucheya of the APC.

Adamawa’s list includes Modibo Ribadu of the ADC, Aishatu Ahmed of the NDC, Maurice Vunobolki of the PDP and Ahmed Galadima of the APC.

In Akwa Ibom, John Akpanudoedehe is listed for the ADC, Michael Eyong for the NDC, Sunday Akpan for the PDP and Umo Eno for the APC.

Benue’s candidates include Hembe Lorwase of the ADC, Terhemba Shija of the NDC, Michael Aondoakaa of the PDP and Governor Hyacinth Alia of the APC.

In Borno, Babagana Buhari is listed for the ADC, Ibrahim Kashim for the NDC, Abba-Gana Baba for the PDP and Mustapha Gubio for the APC.

In Ebonyi, the candidates include Ukpai Udeh of the ADC, Igwe Paulinus of the NDC, Chukwuma Ifeanyi of the PDP and Francis Nwifuru of the APC.

Enugu’s list includes Ocho Chukwuma of the ADC, Christian Ohaa of the NDC, Geoffrey Nnaji of the PDP and Ndubuisi Mbah of the APC.

In Kaduna, Isa Ashiru is listed for the ADC, Bawa Usman for the PDP and Sani Uba for the APC. Kano’s list includes Ibrahim Amin of the ADC, Yusuf Kabir of the APC and Abacha Sani of the PDP.

In Oyo State, Yusuf Adebola is listed for the NDC, Adegoke Adegboyega for the ADC, Gbolarumi Ola for the PDP and Senator Alli Sharafadeen Abiodun for the APC.

The list also names Aliyu Ahmad of the NDC, Manir Dan’iya of the ADC, Abdullahi Sokoto Abubakar of the PDP and Aliyu Ahmed of the APC in Sokoto State.

In Plateau, Akuns Sunday is listed for the NDC, Sura John Sunday for the ADC, Ropshik Wungak for the PDP and Governor Caleb Mutfwang for the APC.(Punch)