INEC Removes Candidates for 2027 Elections Due to Legal Issues

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has delisted several candidates for the 2027 elections, including Isa Ali Pantami, former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe, and Ladi Adebutu, PDP governorship candidate in Ogun. The exclusions stem from political parties not submitting mandatory membership registers as required by law, following a September 24, 2026, Supreme Court judgment affirming the constitutionality of Section 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026.

INEC stated that the exclusions were in compliance with Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates adherence to superior court decisions. While Pantami and Abdulsalam Gwarzo, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate in Kano State, were cleared pending court outcomes, Adebutu was not.

INEC requested parties to notify them of any wrongful omissions by October 24, 2026, and confirmed that some names had been delisted after reviewing complaints regarding the final candidates' list published on October 10, 2026.