INEC Kaduna: Candidate Name Discrepancy Excludes Danjuma La'ah

• The Nigeria Democratic Congress's Kaduna State governorship candidate, former Senator Danjuma La'ah, was omitted from INEC's final list for the 2027 election.
• NDC Chairman Mordecai Ibrahim attributed the omission to discrepancies in the candidate's name registration, specifically "Danjuma Tella La’ah" versus "Danjuma La’ah."
• The party claims network issues during online registration led to multiple attempts and the resulting name mix-up.
• The NDC is actively working to resolve the discrepancy and is prepared to explore legal options if necessary.
• This issue arises amidst an unresolved internal party dispute over who should be the NDC's governorship candidate for Kaduna State.

The Nigeria Democratic Congress has publicly attributed the exclusion of its Kaduna State governorship candidate, former Senator Danjuma La'ah, from the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) final list for the upcoming 2027 election to inconsistencies in the registration of his name.

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has publicly attributed the exclusion of its Kaduna State governorship candidate, former Senator Danjuma La'ah, from the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) final list for the upcoming 2027 election to inconsistencies in the registration of his name. This significant omission was highlighted in the official list, which was formally signed by INEC Secretary Rose Oriaran-Anthony. The document, released on October 11, 2026, detailed 16 governorship candidates along with their running mates but notably did not include former Senator La'ah.

The specific nature of the INEC Kaduna candidate name discrepancy involves two variations: "Danjuma Tella La’ah" and "Danjuma La’ah." According to NDC Chairman Mordecai Ibrahim, this mix-up originated from technical difficulties encountered during the online registration process. He explained that persistent network problems led to multiple individuals attempting to register the candidate, inadvertently resulting in the conflicting name entries. This INEC candidate registration error is now the focus of the party's efforts to secure former Senator La'ah's place on the ballot.

Ibrahim conveyed the party's active engagement in resolving the issue, specifically working to establish that both name versions unequivocally refer to the same individual. Despite the Danjuma La'ah INEC omission from the final list, the NDC chairman expressed strong confidence that the matter would be successfully resolved. He firmly asserted that both the party and its NDC Kaduna governorship candidate meet all necessary qualifications to contest the 2027 governorship election.

In light of the Nigeria electoral law name discrepancy, the NDC is considering all available avenues to address former Senator La'ah's exclusion. Mordecai Ibrahim indicated that legal options might be explored if necessary, drawing a parallel to a previous election where a court order facilitated the inclusion of a candidate on the ballot just prior to the polls. However, Ibrahim refrained from disclosing whether the party had formally lodged a petition with INEC regarding the alleged registration error or if any legal proceedings had been initiated to compel La'ah's inclusion on the INEC final list candidates.

This current challenge for the NDC is set against a backdrop of earlier internal party disagreements concerning its flag bearer for the Kaduna governorship election. As recently as August, Chairman Ibrahim had acknowledged that the party had not yet definitively chosen between former Senator La'ah and lawyer Mohammed Sani Abbas for the coveted ticket. The INEC omission of La'ah now adds another layer of complexity to the party's electoral strategy. Other notable candidates who made the INEC list include Sani Uba of the All Progressives Congress, Isa Ashiru representing the African Democratic Congress, and Bawa Usman from the Peoples Democratic Party. INEC has not yet provided a response to the NDC chairman's explanation regarding the registration discrepancy.

Lawyers advising political parties or electoral candidates in Nigeria should note the critical importance of meticulous candidate name registration with INEC to avoid disqualification due to discrepancies. This case highlights potential grounds for electoral litigation based on administrative errors, requiring counsel to be prepared to challenge or defend such omissions.

Source: Original reporting via The PUNCH