INEC explains exclusion of Pantami, Adebutu from 2027 governorship candidates’ list

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained its decision to exclude the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates in Gombe, Isa Pantami, and in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, from its final list of candidates for the 6 February 2027 governorship elections.

In a statement by its spokesperson, Mohammed Haruna, INEC said the decision stemmed from their political parties’ failure to comply with the membership register requirements under Section 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, and were ineligible to sponsor candidates in the elections.

INEC said it applied the sections of the law after it won the case challenging the application of the sections of the Electoral Act at the Supreme Court, following a suit by the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) challenging it.

“In particular, the court upheld the constitutionality of Item No. 2 of INEC’s Timetable and Schedule of Activities, which mandated political parties to submit their membership registers between 21st April and 10th May, 2026,” the statement reads in part.

INEC’s exclusion of Messrs Pantami and Adebutu in the governorship election and the inclusion of Kingsley Chinda of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have also sparked conversation as to the application of the law.

Mr Chinda registered with the APC on 27 April 2026 and formally announced his defection from the PDP to the APC on 2 June, after the APC had conducted its governorship primary on 21 May.

The sequence has raised questions about whether he was a registered APC member when the party held its primary and whether his name appeared on the membership register submitted to INEC within the required period.

The governorship election has been scheduled to hold on 6 February 2027, while the presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on 16 January 2027.

INEC said the final list of presidential and National Assembly candidates had been published on 12 September, 13 days before the Supreme Court delivered its judgment.

Under Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, political parties that believe their candidates were wrongly omitted from the list have 14 days from the date of publication to notify the commission.

The deadline for such notifications is 24 October, the commission said.

“Under Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, political parties that believe their candidates were wrongly left off the list have 14 days from the date of publication to notify the Commission. The deadline is 24th October, 2026,” it added.

“The commission assures the public of its commitment to transparency, the rule of law and the credibility of the electoral process.”

Supreme Court ruling

On 24 September, the Supreme Court ruled in a case between the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and the electoral commission, INEC, about the submission of party registers and their use to determine who contests elections under each political party.

The court nullified the earlier decision of a Court of Appeal to nullify Sections 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which require political parties to submit their membership registers to INEC before conducting valid primaries.

READ ALSO: PDP, Pantami give INEC three days to publish name as Gombe governorship candidate

The supreme court said the provisions were constitutional and mandatory for all political parties as included in the Electoral Act 2026.

The apex court also upheld the INEC timetable requiring parties to submit their membership registers between 21 April and 10 May, ruling that parties that failed to submit their registers within the stipulated period were ineligible to sponsor candidates, INEC said.

The commission said it relied on Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which requires authorities to enforce decisions of the courts, in applying the judgment to the final list of governorship candidates.