The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained why some candidates were omitted from its final list for the 2027 governorship elections. Those reportedly affected include former Communications and Digital Economy Minister, Prof. Isa Pantami, in Gombe State and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Oladipupo Adebutu in Ogun State. Their exclusion has generated reactions among political stakeholders.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said the decision followed a Supreme Court judgment delivered on September 24, 2026. According to the commission, the court upheld Section 77(5)–(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which requires political parties to submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026. Parties that failed to meet the deadline were deemed ineligible to sponsor candidates.
INEC said it applied the ruling when preparing the final governorship candidate list. It also explained that the presidential and National Assembly candidate lists had been published on September 12, before the judgment was delivered. According to the commission, parties that believe their candidates were wrongly excluded have until October 24, 2026, to notify INEC, in line with Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act.
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