⬆️Hon Ladi Adebutu.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate in Kano State, Aminu Abdulsalam Gwarzo, to contest the 2027 elections, subject to the outcome of pending court cases.
The commission, however, rejected a petition by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, who sought a review of his exclusion from the final list of candidates for the February 6, 2027 governorship election.
The decisions followed INEC’s consideration of petitions submitted by political parties and candidates whose names were omitted from the lists published ahead of the elections.
A source at the commission revealed that INEC received 69 petitions relating to candidates for governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections, with about 36 of the requests succeeding.
“We received a total of 69 petitions from political parties. Some of them were successful, I think about 36, and the rest didn’t succeed,” the source said.
The source added that the commission was awaiting the final figures from its legal department, which was preparing a formal statement on the outcome of the review.
The decisions are significant for the affected politicians as parties intensify preparations for the 2027 elections. However, the conditional nature of the clearances means that the legal disputes surrounding some candidacies remain important to their final status.
Pantami’s Gombe governorship ambition
Pantami, who served as Minister of Communications and Digital Economy under former President Muhammadu Buhari, is the PDP’s governorship candidate in Gombe State.
His candidacy has faced a series of legal challenges, including a dispute over the party’s initial primary election and a subsequent court-ordered rerun.
On September 24, 2026, the Federal High Court in Gombe nullified the PDP’s initial governorship primary and directed the party to conduct a fresh exercise within 30 days.
The ruling followed challenges by aspirants who questioned the process that produced Pantami as the party’s candidate. The court found that the initial exercise had failed to comply with relevant party procedures and applicable electoral requirements.
The PDP subsequently conducted another primary on September 29, in which Pantami emerged as the winner.
However, when INEC published its final list of governorship candidates on October 10, Pantami and his running mate were absent from the Gombe State list.
The omission prompted the candidate’s legal team and the PDP to demand that the commission restore his name. His lawyers argued that the party had complied with the court’s directive by conducting the fresh primary and submitting his particulars to INEC.
The legal team also maintained that Pantami was a duly registered PDP member and that the party had submitted the relevant membership register containing his name.
INEC’s latest decision to clear him, subject to pending court proceedings, offers a measure of relief to his campaign but does not eliminate the need to resolve the outstanding legal issues.
The commission’s position leaves the final implications of the court cases central to determining whether Pantami’s candidacy will remain valid for the election.
Gwarzo’s Kano ticket also faces legal scrutiny
Gwarzo, the NDC’s governorship candidate in Kano state, is another beneficiary of INEC’s review.
His name was also missing from the final list released on October 10, raising concerns within the party over its participation in the forthcoming governorship election.
The NDC had maintained that the omission was an error and insisted that it submitted the necessary documents within the prescribed period.
The party’s Kano State leadership had warned that it would consider legal action if INEC failed to resolve the matter.
Gwarzo and the party subsequently approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking an order compelling the commission to recognise him and his running mate, Rabiu Mustapha, as the NDC’s governorship candidates.
Among the reliefs sought was a declaration that the party had complied with the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026, governing membership registers and candidate nomination.
The legal action sought to compel INEC to amend and republish the list to include the candidates’ names.
Against this background, the commission’s decision to clear Gwarzo is a significant development for the NDC’s campaign in Kano. Nevertheless, the qualification attached to the clearance means the court’s eventual determination remains relevant.
The outcome could also provide further clarification on how the electoral commission is applying the membership-register provisions of the law to parties and their nominated candidates.
Why INEC omitted the candidates
The disputes arose after INEC published its final list of governorship candidates on October 10 without the names of several opposition candidates, including Pantami in Gombe and Adebutu in Ogun.
The commission attributed the exclusions to non-compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026, requiring political parties to submit their membership registers within the prescribed period.
The controversy followed a September 24, 2026 Supreme Court judgment affirming the constitutionality of Sections 77(5) to 77(7) of the Act.
The provisions require political parties to submit their membership registers to INEC within the stipulated timeframe and use those registers in conducting party primaries, congresses and conventions.
Section 77(5) addresses the eligibility of party members to participate in such exercises, while Section 77(6) requires parties to use the submitted registers. Section 77(7) provides that a party that fails to submit its register within the prescribed period is ineligible to field candidates for an election.
In explaining its earlier exclusions, INEC said it was acting in line with the Supreme Court judgment and its constitutional obligation to give effect to decisions of superior courts.
The commission also pointed to Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which provides a procedure for political parties to notify it when a nominated candidate’s name is missing from the published list.
The deadline for submitting such complaints was October 24, prompting affected parties to lodge petitions before the commission’s October 29 meeting.
Adebutu’s petition unsuccessful
Unlike Pantami and Gwarzo, Adebutu did not succeed in his bid to have INEC review his exclusion from the Ogun State governorship candidates’ list.
The PDP candidate had challenged the omission of his name and that of his running mate, insisting that he remained a registered member of the party and had complied with the applicable membership registration requirements.
Adebutu also maintained that his membership card had been issued and verified, while the necessary documentation had been submitted within the prescribed period.
The PDP in Ogun State had similarly rejected allegations that the candidate was not properly registered, insisting that the party complied with the requirements for membership registration and submission of its register.
The controversy followed questions raised by groups over whether Adebutu’s name appeared on the membership register submitted to INEC.
The commission’s initial list contained 13 governorship candidates for Ogun State but did not include a PDP candidate, leaving the party’s participation in the race uncertain.
Adebutu had vowed to challenge the exclusion through the appropriate channels, arguing that the electoral process should respect due process.
The rejection of his petition means that the latest review has not restored his name to the list. Any further change would depend on subsequent developments, including any legal proceedings that may affect the matter.
What the decisions mean for 2027
INEC’s review illustrates the legal and administrative challenges facing political parties as they prepare for the 2027 general elections.
The commission has maintained that compliance with electoral legislation is mandatory, while affected candidates and their parties have argued that their nominations and membership records meet the relevant requirements.
The conditional clearance of Pantami and Gwarzo also underscores the distinction between an administrative decision by INEC and the final outcome of pending litigation.
For the PDP, the decisions leave different situations in Gombe and Ogun: Pantami has received clearance subject to court proceedings, while Adebutu’s request for a review has failed.
For the NDC, Gwarzo’s clearance offers a pathway towards participation in the Kano governorship contest, although the legal dispute surrounding his nomination remains relevant.
INEC is expected to issue a formal statement detailing the outcome of the petitions and the final figures from its review.
*Credit: Blueprint Newspapers