Exclusion of candidates from list: CD cautions INEC against manipulation by politicians

A leading pro-democracy group in Nigeria, the Campaign for Democracy (CD) has raised concerns over the omission of some political parties’ candidates from the list of candidates to contest in the 2027 general elections, particularly some governorship candidates.

The pro-democracy group warned the Independent National Electoral Commission against manipulation by desperate politicians, saying any threat to what it described as “political pluralism and participatory democracy” would be resisted.

In a strongly worded statement, signed by its President, Comrade Ifeanyi Odili, and released on Wednesday, CD wondered how the candidates’ names were excluded from the final list, without any immediate explanation, and when INEC, in its earlier list made available to the public on August 29, 2026, had cleared and published them.

The statement made particular reference to the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate in Gombe State, Isa Pantami; the party’s governorship candidate in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, and his deputy, Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo.

The Campaign for Democracy said the development was particularly disturbing in Ogun State, where citizens had witnessed repeated boasts and triumphalism by members of the All Progressives Congress in the state that the PDP governorship candidate would be excluded from the final list.

According to CD, as if to validate that boast, INEC went ahead to publish a list that excluded both the PDP candidate, and his deputy, Hajia Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo, without stating any reason for their omission.

CD said, “The timing of the omissions was even more disturbing, and this was where we became concerned and alarmed. A particular instance was that of Ogun State where the state’s citizens had witnessed repeated claims and apparent triumphalism by elements within the All Progressives Congress (APC) and their supporters that the PDP governorship candidate would be disqualified from participating in the forthcoming election.

“As if to validate that boast, INEC published a list that excluded both PDP candidates without stating the reason for their omission.”

“This troubling sequence of events raises legitimate questions about the independence and impartiality of the Commission that Nigerians cannot afford to ignore,” the pro-democracy group added.

It said, “Under your leadership, Mr. Chairman, INEC bears an enormous responsibility to demonstrate impartiality, transparency, and strict adherence to the law. Unfortunately, this development has raised serious doubts about the Commission’s preparedness to conduct a credible, transparent, and inclusive election in 2027.

“The clarification by the Commission published late yesterday, three days after the incident was belated.”

The group stated, “To the best of our knowledge, these are candidates that emerged through the primaries conducted by their various political Parties which were monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Information in the public domain shows clearly that these candidates were on the earlier list published on the 29th of August, 2026.

“Even though the Commission has just published a belated clarification on the incident, we consider this development deeply troubling and a serious blow to public confidence in the electoral process, particularly because the published list provided no immediate explanation for the omissions of the governorship and other candidates.”

CD, which was formed in 1991 and was among the prominent civil society organisations that fought the military for restoration of civil rule in 1999, said it decided to intervene because the omission threatens Nigeria’s democratic credentials, warning INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, to avoid orchestrating anything that could set the nation on fire.

The organisation maintained that it was deeply troubling that candidates who emerged through primaries monitored by INEC itself could be so brazenly excluded without immediate explanation.

The group warned that an electoral umpire must not only be independent but must be seen to be independent.

CD said information from the affected states already showed heightened anxiety that could have exploded into intractable violence before the Commission’s belated clarification, describing the delay as inexcusable tardiness.

The pro-democracy body further demanded an immediate investigation into allegations circulating in the public that some candidates’ names were electronically removed after they were duly submitted.

It vowed that as a committed pro-democracy group, it would not hesitate to mobilise citizens and pro-democracy organisations across the nation for lawful mass civic action against any threat to political pluralism and participatory democracy.

“We remind INEC that elections belong to the Nigerian people, not to any political party, individual, or governing interest. No institution should take actions that create the impression that opposition participation can be determined by administrative discretion without transparent, constitutional justification and due process,” CD stated.