INEC Excludes Governorship Candidates for 2027 Elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has defended its decision to exclude several governorship candidates from the final list for the 2027 elections, citing non-compliance with the membership-register provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 by political parties. This clarification follows controversy over missing names, including high-profile candidates such as Prof. Isa Ali Pantami of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State and Ladi Adebutu of the PDP in Ogun State.

Other notable omissions include Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo and Danjuma La’ah from the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kano and Kaduna States, respectively. INEC's statement, signed by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, referenced the Supreme Court's September 24, 2026 judgment in INEC v.

Zenith Labour Party, which upheld the requirement for parties to submit membership registers for valid primaries. The Commission stated that failure to comply with these provisions rendered parties ineligible to sponsor candidates, leading to the exclusion of those who did not meet the criteria.