The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected petitions seeking the inclusion of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate Ladi Adebutu in Ogun State and Nigeria Democratic Congress candidate Aminu Gwarzo in Kano State ahead of the 2027 general elections/
However, INEC cleared former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, to contest the governorship election in Gombe State.
The decisions followed the commission’s review of complaints arising from the final lists of governorship and State House of Assembly candidates published on October 10, 2026.
The commission said its decisions were based on submitted records, relevant legal provisions, and the requirements governing candidate nominations.
It was reported that Adebutu’s name was excluded because it was absent from the original list of candidates submitted by the PDP to the electoral commission.
The source said the petition seeking his inclusion was therefore unsuccessful because the commission could not add a candidate whose name was not part of the party’s initial submission.
In Gwarzo’s case, it is reported that the Kano Deputy Governor would have been cleared but for an ex parte order issued by the Federal High Court, restraining INEC from publishing his name. His position remains dependent on the outcome of the legal proceedings surrounding his candidacy.
Pantami, however, secured clearance from the commission to contest the Gombe State governorship election on the platform of the PDP.
In a statement signed by Mohammed Haruna, Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, the commission said it received 69 petitions from 12 political parties across 26 states concerning governorship candidates.
For the State House of Assembly elections, INEC received 61 petitions from 11 political parties across 11 states. The commission approved 25 and rejected 36, bringing the total number of petitions reviewed to 130.
The complaints included allegations of political parties being omitted from the final candidate lists, the inclusion of individuals whose names were missing from their parties’ membership registers and cases involving multiple nominations.
INEC said it also approved the removal of candidates whose nominations failed to meet legal requirements after examining the membership registers submitted by their political parties.
The commission explained that the review followed complaints received after the October 10 publication of the final candidate lists. It said affected candidates and political parties would be reflected in an updated list scheduled for publication on Friday, October 30.
The controversy over candidate eligibility also follows an earlier INEC statement issued on October 13, which attributed some omissions to alleged violations of provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
The commission had cited a September 24 Supreme Court judgment affirming the constitutionality of Section 77(5) to (7) of the Electoral Act, which requires political parties to submit their membership registers.
INEC reiterated that its decisions were guided by the law and relevant records, adding that the review was intended to strengthen transparency and credibility ahead of the 2027 elections.
