Nigeria: Guber List Row - PDP, NDC Fault INEC for Omitting Gwarzo, Pantami, Adebutu

By Ademu Idakwo, James Kwen, Adebayo Waheed, Aza Msue, Longtong Yakubu and Femi Oyesewoso

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) have faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the omission of their governorship candidates in Ogun, Gombe and Kano states from the final list of candidates for the 2027 elections, with the NDC threatening legal action to secure the inclusion of its candidate.

The affected candidates are Ladi Adebutu of the PDP in Ogun State, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami in Gombe State and Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo of the NDC in Kano State. Their running mates were also reportedly omitted from the list published by INEC on Saturday.

The development has triggered protests and calls for clarification, with the affected candidates attributing the omissions to errors and, in Adebutu's case, alleging political interference. INEC's Oyo State office, however, insisted that the commission published the names submitted by the political parties, while its Kano office said it had forwarded the list of aspirants to the national headquarters in Abuja.

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2027: NDC's Gwarzo Absent From INEC's Final Kano Governorship Candidates List

Other affected candidates, including the Social Democratic Party's governorship candidates in Oyo and Benue states, have also expressed confidence that the omissions would be resolved. Civil society organisations, meanwhile, have urged INEC to explain the circumstances surrounding the disputed entries and ensure that electoral rules are applied fairly.

NDC Threatens Legal Action

In its reaction, the NDC said it was investigating the omission of Gwarzo and his running mate, Mustapha Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso, from INEC's list and would pursue all available legal options to secure their inclusion.

The party's National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, told LEADERSHIP that the party would take the necessary steps to address the development.

"The NDC is looking into the matter and will use every available legal means to ensure our candidate's name is restored on the list," he said.

In Kano, INEC said its state office had forwarded the names of aspirants to the commission's national headquarters.

The commission's Head of Department, Election and Party Monitoring in Kano, Hajiya Hauwa, disclosed this during a telephone conversation with our correspondent.

She directed further enquiries to the national headquarters, explaining that the state office had compiled and forwarded the names before the final list was published in Abuja.

She did not explain why the NDC candidates' names were missing.

The party's Kano State Chairman, Hussaini Isah Mairiga, however, attributed the omission to a technical error and expressed confidence that it would be resolved by Tuesday.

"By Tuesday, Insha Allah, everything will be okay. People will see our candidate's name," he said.

Mairiga claimed that the omission had also affected some of the party's candidates in other states, including Kaduna and Katsina.

He insisted that Gwarzo had fulfilled the party's membership requirements and remained qualified to contest on its platform.

"Our candidate has his membership card. If somebody is not a member of the party, he cannot contest. His name is already there; he does not have any problem," he said.

Mairiga also confirmed that the name of the party's Kano North senatorial candidate, Nasiru Sule Garo, was missing from the published list, adding that efforts were ongoing to secure his inclusion.

The list featured Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and his running mate, Murtala Sule Garo, for the All Progressives Congress (APC), as well as Abacha Muhammad Sani and Kibiya Yusuf Ado for the PDP. Candidates from the African Democratic Congress, Peoples Redemption Party and Social Democratic Party were also listed.

PDP Engages INEC Over Adebutu, Pantami

On its part, the PDP said it was engaging INEC to resolve the exclusion of its governorship candidates in Ogun and Gombe states from the final list.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the party's National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, described the development as serious and urged affected candidates, party members and supporters to remain calm while discussions with the commission continued.

Mohammed said the party was working with INEC to address the issues responsible for the omissions and would communicate further developments when appropriate.

He urged members and supporters to exercise patience and avoid actions or statements that could undermine the ongoing engagements.

The dispute comes amid renewed legal scrutiny of political parties' compliance with the Electoral Act 2026, particularly provisions governing membership registers and candidate nominations.

On September 24, 2026, the Supreme Court restored Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, which the Court of Appeal had earlier declared unconstitutional. The apex court held that the provisions were not inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution.

Section 77(5) provides that only party members whose names appear on a membership register submitted to INEC at least 21 days before a primary, congress or convention may participate in the exercise.

Section 77(6) requires parties to use the membership register submitted to the commission for their primaries, congresses and conventions, while Section 77(7) provides that a party that fails to submit its register within the stipulated period cannot field a candidate for an election.

Adebutu Vows To Challenge Omission

For his part, Adebutu has vowed to challenge the omission of his name from INEC's list, alleging that pressure from the ruling APC may have influenced the development.

In a statement, the former Ogun State governorship candidate said he remained a duly registered PDP member and had completed his digital registration within the stipulated period.

He said his membership card had been printed and verified, while the necessary documents had been submitted to INEC within the prescribed timeline.

Adebutu also maintained that the PDP primary that produced him as its candidate was conducted in the presence of INEC officials, who attended as observers. He said relevant documents were presented for verification and certification.

According to him, the party had raised concerns over what it described as "undue pressure from the APC on INEC".

He argued that the omission was questionable because other PDP candidates contesting for seats in the state House of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senate appeared on the commission's published lists.

Adebutu said the party would pursue the matter through the appropriate channels to ensure that due process was followed.

He further alleged that the PDP's campaign had faced repeated obstacles, including restrictions on its billboards, attacks at campaign venues and harassment of members.

"I remain confident that it will be resolved, and I assure you that I will not abandon the struggle to bring the leadership and relief our people deserve," he said.

Oyo INEC Blames Party

INEC's Oyo State office has said the omission of some candidates' names from the final list resulted from information submitted by the political parties.

The commission's Head of Publicity in the state, Olayiwola Awolowo, told LEADERSHIP that the commission published the names supplied by the parties.

"The issue is from the party, not from INEC. INEC has no issue. It is what the party submitted that the commission published," he said.

Reacting to the omission of his name, the SDP governorship candidate in Oyo State, Mogaji Olusegun Agboola, described it as a minor error and expressed confidence that it would be corrected.

Speaking in Ibadan on Sunday, Agboola reassured party members and supporters that he remained in the race for the 2027 governorship election.

He acknowledged that the omission could affect supporters' morale but insisted that it would not weaken his resolve to contest.

"It is a minor error with a big impact on morale, but not one that will knock our confidence," he said.

Agboola urged party members and supporters not to interpret the development as a setback to the SDP's electoral ambition.

He said efforts were ongoing to resolve the matter and expressed optimism that the necessary corrections would be made.

"We are still in the race," he declared.

Benue SDP Candidate Confident Of Correction

INEC's Public Affairs Officer in Benue State, Peace Ogoyi, declined to comment on the omission of the SDP governorship candidate, Prof. Sebastine Hon, from the final list.

Speaking with LEADERSHIP by telephone on Sunday, Ogoyi said the matter was beyond her jurisdiction and advised the newspaper to seek an withappointment the Resident Electoral Commissioner.

"It is beyond my jurisdiction to comment on the list," she said.

INEC's published list included Governor Hyacinth Alia of the APC, Michael Kaase Aondoakaa of the PDP and Prof. Terhemba Shija of the NDC, alongside candidates from other parties.

Hon, in a statement posted on his Facebook page, said he was working with the SDP national headquarters and had engaged INEC over what he described as a minor error.

He said the commission had assured him that the omission would be corrected.

"Good morning, my supporters and friends. My Campaign Organisation has already issued a terse statement on the omission of my name in the list published by INEC. I wish to add that the said omission is simply an error, which shall be corrected very soon," he said.

Hon argued that the publication of the names of SDP candidates contesting for state constituency seats supported his position that the omission was an error.

He said more than 95 per cent of those candidates conducted their primaries on the same day, at the same venue and time.

"I was the sole aspirant of my party, SDP, for the office of governor. Consequently, I was and remain the sole candidate, unchallenged by anyone. My name had been uploaded on the portal of INEC. I have evidence to that effect in my possession," he said.

CISLAC Calls For Transparent Review

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has expressed concern over the omission of candidates from INEC's final lists, warning that unresolved disputes could undermine public confidence in the 2027 elections.

Its executive director, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, told LEADERSHIP that the credibility of an election depended on the integrity of the nomination process, not only on what happened on election day.

He said the omission of candidates' names, particularly when attributed to administrative or technical errors, raised legitimate questions about the reliability of electoral procedures.

"Nigerians deserve an electoral system where candidates are treated fairly, political parties understand the rules, and decisions affecting electoral participation are transparent, consistent and legally justified.

"For CISLAC, administrative mistakes must never become instruments of political exclusion, just as claims of technical errors must never become excuses for violating electoral laws," he said.

Rafsanjani said INEC must distinguish between genuine clerical errors, failures by political parties to meet statutory requirements and exclusions arising from court judgments.

He urged the commission to explain the circumstances surrounding each omission instead of allowing speculation and allegations of political interference to dominate public discussion.

"Where errors are established, they must be corrected promptly through lawful procedures. Where candidates are legitimately disqualified, Nigerians deserve clear explanations supported by the relevant laws and evidence," he said.

He called on INEC to conduct a transparent review of the disputed lists, engage affected political parties, publish the reasons for each exclusion and establish an effective mechanism for addressing verified administrative errors within the legally permitted timeframe.

He also urged the commission to investigate any established negligence or misconduct by its officials and ensure accountability.

Rafsanjani said political parties must equally take responsibility for accurate documentation, credible primaries, valid membership registers and compliance with nomination deadlines.

"Electoral accountability must apply equally to INEC and political parties. No institution should be permitted to undermine citizens' democratic choices through negligence, procedural manipulation or disregard for the law," he said.

He warned that unresolved nomination disputes could deepen public distrust in INEC's management of the 2027 elections, stressing that the commission must demonstrate professionalism, impartiality and accountability at every stage.

"The credibility of the 2027 elections must not be compromised before Nigerians cast their votes," he added.

CDHR Urges Level Playing Field

Adding its voice to the issue, the Campaign for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has urged INEC to ensure a level playing field for all political parties and candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.

Its national president, Comrade Yinka Folarin, told LEADERSHIP in Abeokuta on Sunday that the omission of some governorship candidates from the commission's final list could raise questions about the application of the Electoral Act.

Folarin, who cited the omission of Adebutu and his running mate in Ogun State, urged INEC to demonstrate that it was treating all parties and candidates fairly.

He also expressed concern over reports that some APC supporters in Abeokuta had celebrated the omission of Adebutu's name, warning that such developments could reinforce perceptions that the electoral commission was favouring a particular party.

Folarin, however, acknowledged that INEC could legitimately exclude candidates who failed to meet electoral requirements.

"I believe in a fair-play arrangement that will enable leaders to emerge through the ballot. However, if, for one reason or another, political parties and their candidates breach the guidelines and the Electoral Act, it is not out of place for the electoral umpire not to have such candidates on the ballot," he said.

He added that affected candidates had the right to challenge their exclusion where they believed it was unjustified.

Folarin said disputes over nominations were unhealthy for democracy because voters should have the opportunity to choose from among candidates who had fulfilled the requirements for participation.

He dismissed suggestions that the omission of Adebutu's name could trigger unrest in Ogun State, noting that similar controversies had emerged in other states.

He advised the affected parties and candidates to remain calm and seek redress through the appropriate channels.