INEC Clears Pantami, Gwarzo For 2027 Elections, Rejects Adebutu’s Petition
INEC Clears Pantami, Gwarzo For 2027 Elections, Rejects Adebutu’s Petition
According to Daily Trust, the commission, however, rejected a petition by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, seeking a review of his exclusion from the list of candidates
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate in Kano State, Abdulsalam Gwarzo, to contest the 2027 elections, subject to the outcomes of pending court cases.
According to Daily Trust, the commission, however, rejected a petition by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, seeking a review of his exclusion from the list of candidates
According to the newspaper, an INEC source disclosed the decisions following the commission’s meeting on Thursday to review complaints from political parties and candidates whose names were omitted from the lists published ahead of the 2027 elections.
The source said INEC received 69 petitions relating to omitted candidates for governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections, adding that approximately 36 were successful
“We received a total of 69 petitions from political parties. Some of them were successful, I think about 36, and the rest didn’t succeed,” the source said.
The official added that the commission was awaiting final figures from its legal department, which was preparing a statement on the outcome of the review.
Confirming Pantami’s clearance, the source said INEC had no objection to his candidacy, although the pending legal proceedings could affect the final outcome.
“Yes, Pantami has been cleared,” the source said when asked about the PDP governorship candidate in Gombe State.
On Gwarzo, the official said his clearance remained subject to the court’s final decision in the case challenging his exclusion from the list of governorship candidates in Kano State.
“Because of the court case, the court may rule otherwise. So his approval is subject to whatever the court finally decides,” the source said.
The official added that INEC had no objection to either candidate contesting the election, pending the resolution of the legal matters.
“But we have no issues with their contesting as candidates,” the source said.
However, Adebutu’s petition was unsuccessful.
“He did not succeed,” the source said when asked about the Ogun State PDP governorship candidate.
The decisions followed complaints by candidates and political parties after INEC omitted their names from the lists published ahead of the 2027 elections.
Why INEC Excluded The Candidates
As previously reported by SaharaReporters, INEC attributed the exclusion of some candidates to alleged non-compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026, requiring political parties to submit their membership registers before conducting valid primaries.
In October, the commission explained that its decision followed a Supreme Court judgment delivered on September 24, 2026, which upheld the constitutionality of Sections 77(5)–(7) of the Electoral Act.
The judgment, delivered in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026, affirmed the mandatory requirement for political parties to submit their membership registers within the timetable prescribed by INEC.
The commission said the court had ruled that parties that failed to comply with the requirement would be ineligible to sponsor candidates in the elections.
Applying the judgment when preparing the final lists of governorship candidates, INEC excluded parties that it said had failed to meet the membership-register submission requirements.
The commission subsequently published its final lists of governorship candidates for Gombe and Ogun states without candidates from the PDP.
Pantami, who was the PDP’s governorship candidate in Gombe State, and Adebutu, the party’s candidate in Ogun State, were among those affected.
Gwarzo also challenged his exclusion from the Kano State governorship candidates’ list, alongside his running mate, Rabiu Mustapha.
In an originating summons dated October 20, 2026, Gwarzo asked the court to declare their exclusion unlawful and compel INEC to recognise them as the NDC’s governorship candidates.
Pantami’s candidacy has also been the subject of litigation, with the INEC source indicating that a court proceeding was expected on Friday.
Meanwhile, Adebutu had maintained that he remained a registered PDP member and had complied with the party’s membership registration requirements, challenging his exclusion from the final list.
INEC is expected to issue a formal statement detailing the outcome of its review of the petitions.
