The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has taken a final position on the fate of candidates intending to contest the governorship elections in their respective states affirming that those excluded from the list the commission released on Saturday remain excluded.
Daily Trust reports that in the list released by INEC on October 10, frontline contenders like Isa Ali Pantami who was cleared by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State and Ladi Adebutu of the PDP in Ogun State were excluded.
Others not captured in the list include Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kano, and his counterpart in Kaduna State Danjuma Laah.
Our correspondents report that INEC also excluded governorship candidates of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Action Alliance (AA) and Accord Party (AP) in Bauchi State. Abdullahi Yakubu; Musa Zubairu; Ahmed Shuaibu and Mohammed Aminu.
INEC explained after a meeting of its top officials in Abuja which lasted several hours that the candidates were excluded because their political parties failed to submit membership registers as required by law.
The commission said the exclusion followed a September 24, 2026, Supreme Court judgement affirming the constitutionality of Section 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which makes the submission of membership registers mandatory for political parties.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, signed by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, said the Supreme Court, in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026, upheld the provisions requiring parties to submit their membership registers before conducting valid primaries.
The judgement overturned an earlier Court of Appeal decision that had nullified the provisions.
INEC stated that the apex court also upheld Item 2 of its timetable for the 2027 elections, which required political parties to submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026, stressing that the Supreme Court further ruled that parties that failed to comply with the requirement would be ineligible to sponsor candidates in the elections.
The commission explained that it applied the judgement while finalising the governorship candidates’ list in compliance with Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which requires authorities to give effect to decisions of superior courts.
It added that the final lists of presidential and National Assembly candidates had already been published on September 12, 2026, 13 days before the Supreme Court delivered its judgement.
INEC said political parties that believed their candidates had been wrongly omitted could notify the commission in accordance with Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
It said the deadline for such notifications was October 24, 2026.
The commission reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, the rule of law and the credibility of the electoral process.
Reactions after the list was released
Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, had on Monday, issued a three days ultimatum to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), over what he described as unlawful omission of his name from the final list of candidates for the 2027 governorship election in Gombe State.
In a letter dated October 12, 2026, and addressed to the INEC Chairman, Pantami’s lawyers, Ahmed Raji & Co., demanded that the commission publishes his name as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) within three days.
The Kwankwasiyya Movement also urged its members and supporters to remain calm saying the matter could be resolved through available administrative and legal channels, urging the NDC to act swiftly to protect the candidates’ interests.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the movement’s spokesperson, Dr Habibu Sale Mohammed, said the development had generated concern among supporters but cautioned against speculation and the circulation of unverified information.
Adebutu on his part explained that the circumstances surrounding his exclusion from the final list of governorship candidates released by INEC raised “serious questions” as all the other party’s candidates across the House of Assembly, House of Representatives and senatorial positions had appeared on the published lists, except him and his running mate, Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo.
“We will pursue this matter through the appropriate channels and insist that due process is respected,” Adebutu declared in a statement he posted on X and Facebook on Sunday morning.
INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan had last week Tuesday confirmed that the commission had received the certified true copy of the Supreme Court judgement and that it is being reviewed.
Yesterday’s meeting with top officials of the commission to our correspondents learnt represents thew final decision of the commission as regards the cleared candidates for the 2027 elections.
There have been debates as to whether INEC has the power to disqualify candidates on its own based on the Supreme court judgement.
Background to the crisis
Daily Trust reports that the whole matter started when Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) had approached a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, challenging provisions of the Electoral Act which it contended were inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution.
At the trial court, the ZLP argued that the provisions conflicted with the 1999 Constitution and amounted to unconstitutional interference in the internal affairs of political parties.
The party’s case was anchored, among others, on Sections 221 and 222 of the Constitution, which provide for the constitutional framework governing political parties.
he Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Mohammed Umar, in a judgment delivered on May 5, 2026 dismissed the party’s action.
Dissatisfied with the judgement, the ZLP approached the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division in appeal marked: CA/ABJ/CV/750/2026.
The Court of Appeal, in its judgment delivered on July 16, 2026, allowed the appeal in part and voided provisions of the Electoral Act relating to party primaries and membership registers.
The appellate court’s decision prompted INEC to approach the Supreme Court, according to the commission’s brief of argument filed in the appeal filed at the Supreme Court.
After the hearing of the appeal and arguments from both parties last week, a seven-man panel of the apex court, presided over by Justice Adamu Jauro, reserved its judgement.
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