Political parties have begun moves to resolve the omission of several candidates from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) final list for the 2027 general election, with some suspecting administrative errors while others face internal disputes and potential legal challenges.
The omissions have triggered protests among affected parties, including the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and African Democratic Congress (ADC), as the Action Alliance threatens legal action to secure the inclusion of its candidates.
Among the prominent politicians missing from the lists are former minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, the PDP governorship candidate in Gombe State, and Oladipupo Adebutu, the party’s candidate in Ogun State.
Other affected politicians include Aminu Gwarzo of the NDC in Kano State.
While some parties suspect technical or administrative errors, others are dealing with internal leadership disputes, nomination controversies and pending court cases that could complicate efforts to resolve the omissions.
The development has also raised questions about the implementation of the Supreme Court’s recent judgment restoring provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 governing party membership registers and candidate nominations.
In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court restored Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act after allowing an appeal by INEC against a Court of Appeal judgment that had struck down the provisions.
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The restored provisions require political parties to submit membership registers to INEC within the stipulated period and use those registers for primaries, congresses and conventions. Section 77(7) provides that a party that fails to submit its register within the prescribed period cannot field a candidate for an election.
Mohammed Haruna, INEC national commissioner for Information and Voter Education, said last week that parties that failed to comply with the membership-register requirements would not be allowed to field affected candidates or substitute them.
However, the commission has not explained the specific reasons for the latest omissions or clarified whether they resulted from non-compliance with the membership-register provisions, disputes over nominations or administrative issues.
Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act 2026 provides that a political party has 14 days to notify INEC in writing, supported by an affidavit, where a nominated candidate’s name is missing. Whether this procedure can resolve particular cases will depend on the circumstances surrounding each omission and compliance with the applicable legal requirements.
Reacting to the development, former Kaduna Central senator, Shehu Sani, urged affected politicians to abandon further legal battles and begin preparing for future elections.
“The Supreme Court ruling that enabled INEC to exclude some names of candidates is very clear. Affected candidates should not waste their money, time and energy fighting a lost battle,” he wrote on X.
Sani also appealed to lawyers representing the affected politicians, including Senior Advocates of Nigeria, to stop encouraging them to institute fresh lawsuits.
“I also wish to appeal to those Barristers and SANs to ‘pity’ those candidates and allow them to rest, and not mislead them into spending more money ‘filing fresh suits’. Four years will come and go; let them strategise for the future,” he added.
His comments come as affected parties seek clarification from INEC and consider their options for securing the inclusion of their candidates.
The immediate challenge is to establish whether the omissions reflect correctable administrative discrepancies or substantive problems with party membership registers and nomination processes.
Although the Supreme Court upheld the disputed provisions, its judgment did not individually determine the eligibility of every candidate preparing to contest in 2027.
Consequently, the absence of a candidate’s name from the published list does not, on its own, establish the specific reason for the omission. INEC’s clarification and the circumstances of each case will be crucial in determining the available remedies.
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Taofeek Oyedokun is a correspondent at BusinessDay with years of experience reporting on political economy, public policy, migration, environment/climate change, and social justice. A graduate of Political Science from the University of Lagos, he has also earned multiple professional certificates in journalism and media-related training. Known for his clear, data-driven reporting, Oyedokun covers a wide range of national and international socioeconomic issues, bringing depth, balance, and public-interest focus to his work.
