The Independent National Electoral Commission’s publication of the final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections has generated controversy following the absence of some prominent opposition politicians, including former Communications and Digital Economy Minister Isa Pantami and Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate Ladi Adebutu.
Also missing from the published list is Aminu Gwarzo, the Nigeria Democratic Congress governorship candidate in Kano State and a former deputy governor of the state.
While the Ogun PDP accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of putting pressure on INEC to exclude Adebutu, Pantami’s camp appealed to its supporters to remain calm. Gwarzo had yet to publicly react to his omission.
Meanwhile, supporters of some politicians whose eligibility had been questioned following a recent Supreme Court judgment expressed excitement after their candidates appeared on the commission’s list.
INEC uploaded the names of candidates for the presidential, governorship and National Assembly elections to its website on Saturday, marking another stage in preparations for the 2027 polls.
A review of the list by Sunday PUNCH showed that 18 presidential candidates had been listed for the election.
Those included President Bola Tinubu of the APC, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, Peter Obi of the NDC, African Action Congress candidate Omoyele Sowore and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, who was listed under the Allied Peoples Movement.
The publication also covered governorship candidates in 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.
However, the absence of several candidates whose nominations had attracted public attention has raised questions about their participation in the elections.
The omissions have also brought renewed attention to disputes over party primaries and the legal requirements for nominating candidates, particularly following a Supreme Court judgment on party membership registers and candidate selection.
It remains unclear whether the affected politicians were excluded because of the judgment or other issues relating to their nominations.
Pantami’s camp asks supporters to remain calm
In Gombe State, the absence of Pantami’s name was particularly notable because he had won a fresh PDP governorship primary conducted after a court invalidated his earlier emergence as the party’s candidate.
The Federal High Court in Gombe had nullified Pantami’s initial nomination and ordered the party to conduct another primary following a suit filed by Usman Garry.
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Garry argued that the PDP had failed to conduct a valid governorship primary before announcing Pantami as its candidate on June 26, 2026. He maintained that the party’s decision to adopt Pantami without the required primary breached its guidelines and relevant electoral laws.
In her ruling, Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed directed the PDP to organise a fresh primary in line with its rules and applicable laws.
The party subsequently held a rerun on Tuesday across the 114 wards in Gombe State’s 11 local government areas.
Pantami won the exercise with 2,024 votes, defeating former House of Representatives member Khamisu Mailantarki, who received 389 votes, and Garry, a former member of the Gombe State House of Assembly, who polled 112 votes.
Despite the victory, neither Pantami nor the PDP appeared on INEC’s published list of governorship candidates for the state.
Reacting to the development, the spokesperson for the Pantamiyya Movement, Professor Suleiman Mohammed, called for calm, describing the omission as a temporary setback rather than a final decision on the former minister’s political future.
In a statement posted on Pantami’s Facebook account, Mohammed said the camp was aware of the development but remained hopeful that the matter would be resolved as the electoral process progressed.
“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 explain what legal or administrative measures Pantami or the party planned to pursue to address the omission.
INEC’s list for Gombe included Bala Bello of the ADC, Ardo Kumo of the NDC and Gwamna Isyaku of the APC.
Ogun PDP alleges pressure on INEC
In Ogun State, the PDP accused the APC of exerting undue pressure on INEC to leave Adebutu’s name off the list, alleging that the ruling party was concerned about losing the governorship election.
The allegation was made in a statement by the state party’s Publicity Secretary, Kayode Adebayo, who urged residents and PDP supporters not to be unsettled by the development.
The party insisted that Adebutu remained its duly nominated candidate and expressed confidence that INEC would eventually publish his name.
According to the PDP, Adebutu registered as a party member within the required period, obtained a printed membership card, completed verification and submitted the necessary information to the commission before the deadline.
The party said the omission would not stop its preparations 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.
Adebutu’s running mate, Alhaja Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo, was also absent from the list. The Accord Party’s Ogun governorship candidate, Alhaji Olaniyi Agbongboakala, was similarly missing.
INEC listed 13 governorship candidates for Ogun, including Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, of the APC; Jimi Lawal of the ADC; Babajide Rotimi of the APM; Adenuga Adekunle of the Boot Party; and Akinbola Rotham of the NNPP.
Chinda, Omo-Agege, Ochei appear on list
The published names also included some high-profile politicians whose nominations had attracted 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. The Court of Appeal had earlier invalidated the provisions in a case originating from a suit filed by the Zenith Labour Party.
Under the restored provisions, only party members whose names appear in a membership register submitted to INEC at least 21 days before a primary, congress or convention may participate in the exercise.
Political parties are required to use the submitted register, while failure to provide it within the statutory period prevents them from fielding candidates. Section 84(2) also provides for nominations through direct primaries or consensus.
The ruling raised questions about the nominations of politicians who switched 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. The validity of their individual nominations therefore depends on whether they complied with the applicable legal requirements.
Chinda, the APC governorship candidate in Rivers State, appeared on the list. Omo-Agege, a former Deputy Senate President contesting the Delta Central senatorial seat under the NDC, was also listed.
Ochei, a former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, equally appeared as the NDC candidate for Delta North senatorial district.
Other governorship candidates
The list 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 was listed for the ADC, Yakubu Danladi Salihu for the APC, Abdulmumin Ajia for the NDC and Kawu Bolakale for the PDP.
For Lagos State, the candidates included Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the ADC, Obafemi Hamzat of the APC, Doherty Adeshina of the NDC and Doherty Olugbemiga of the PDP.
Abia State’s list featured Kalu Agu of the ADC, Ndubuisi Ogah of the NDC, Kelechi Anosike of the PDP and Eric Chinemeucheya of the APC.
In Adamawa, Modibo Ribadu was listed for the ADC, Aishatu Ahmed for the NDC, Maurice Vunobolki for the PDP and Ahmed Galadima for the APC.
The Akwa Ibom candidates included John Akpanudoedehe of the ADC, Michael Eyong of the NDC, Sunday Akpan of the PDP and Umo Eno of the APC.
In Benue, the list featured Hembe Lorwase of the ADC, Terhemba Shija of the NDC, Michael Aondoakaa of the PDP and Governor Hyacinth Alia of the APC.
Borno’s candidates were Babagana Buhari of the ADC, Ibrahim Kashim of the NDC, Abba-Gana Baba of the PDP and Mustapha Gubio of the APC.
In Ebonyi, Ukpai Udeh was listed for the ADC, Igwe Paulinus for the NDC, Chukwuma Ifeanyi for the PDP and Francis Nwifuru for the APC.
Enugu’s list included 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 was listed for the ADC, Bawa Usman for the PDP and Sani Uba for the APC. Kano’s candidates included Ibrahim Amin of the ADC, Yusuf Kabir of the APC and Abacha Sani of the PDP.
For Oyo State, Yusuf Adebola was listed for the NDC, Adegoke Adegboyega for the ADC, Gbolarumi Ola for the PDP and Senator Alli Sharafadeen Abiodun for the APC.
Sokoto State’s candidates included Aliyu Ahmad of the NDC, Manir Dan’iya of the ADC, Abdullahi Sokoto Abubakar of the PDP and Aliyu Ahmed of the APC.
In Plateau, Akuns Sunday was listed for the NDC, Sura John Sunday for the ADC, Ropshik Wungak for the PDP and Governor Caleb Mutfwang for the APC.
The publication of the list has clarified the status of several candidates while leaving the affected political camps facing questions over the omissions and the steps available to them as preparations for the 2027 elections continue.