INEC: Omission of PDP, NDC Candidates for 2027 Elections Sparks Legal Action

• The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) omitted governorship candidates from the PDP and NDC for the 2027 elections.
• Ladi Adebutu (PDP, Ogun), Prof. Isa Ali Pantami (PDP, Gombe), and Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo (NDC, Kano) were among those excluded from the final list.
• The NDC has explicitly stated its intention to pursue all available legal avenues to ensure the restoration of its candidate, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, and his running mate to the official list.
• INEC's state offices provided varying explanations, with the Kano office confirming names were forwarded to the national headquarters without explaining the omissions.
• Both the PDP and NDC are actively engaging INEC to rectify the omissions, which some attribute to technical errors or political interference.

The Nigeria Democratic Congress has explicitly stated its intention to pursue all available legal avenues to ensure the restoration of its candidate, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, and his running mate to the official list.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has faced criticism following the release of its final list of candidates for the 2027 elections, which notably excluded several prominent governorship aspirants from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). Among those omitted from the list, published on a recent Saturday, were Ladi Adebutu, the PDP's candidate for Ogun State; Professor Isa Ali Pantami, also of the PDP, vying for Gombe State; and Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, the NDC's candidate for Kano State. Reports also indicate that the running mates for these candidates were similarly left off the official roster.

This development has quickly led to widespread protests and urgent calls for clarification from various stakeholders. Affected candidates and their parties have attributed these exclusions to various factors, including administrative errors. In the specific case of Ladi Adebutu, allegations of political interference have been raised as a potential cause for his omission. Meanwhile, official statements from INEC's state-level operations have offered differing perspectives; the Oyo State office maintained that it merely published the names submitted by the respective political parties, while the Kano State office confirmed that it had forwarded its list of aspirants to the national headquarters located in Abuja prior to the final publication.

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has adopted a particularly firm stance regarding the absence of Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo and his running mate, Mustapha Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso, from the 2027 governorship list. The party has initiated an investigation into the matter and has unequivocally declared its intent to explore all available legal avenues to secure their inclusion. Osa Director, the NDC's National Publicity Secretary, affirmed that the party would undertake necessary steps to address the situation, emphasizing the commitment to using "every available legal means" to restore their candidate's name.

Hussaini Isah Mairiga, the NDC's Kano State Chairman, characterized the omission as a technical error, expressing confidence that the issue would be resolved promptly, specifically by the upcoming Tuesday. Mairiga also highlighted that similar omissions had reportedly affected other NDC candidates in states such as Kaduna and Katsina, in addition to the party's Kano North senatorial candidate, Nasiru Sule Garo. He staunchly defended Gwarzo's eligibility, asserting that the candidate possessed his party membership card and had fulfilled all requirements to contest under the NDC banner, indicating no underlying issues with his candidacy. Concurrently, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has confirmed it is actively engaging with INEC to address the exclusions of both Ladi Adebutu and Professor Isa Ali Pantami.

Further details from INEC's Kano office revealed that Hajiya Hauwa, the Head of Department for Election and Party Monitoring, had indeed forwarded the list of aspirants to the commission's national headquarters. However, she directed all subsequent inquiries to the national body, stating that the state office had completed its compilation and submission before the final list was published from Abuja, without providing an explanation for the missing NDC candidates. This lack of clarity from the electoral body has fueled calls from civil society organizations, which are urging INEC to provide a comprehensive explanation for the discrepancies and to ensure the equitable application of electoral regulations.

Beyond the immediate concerns of the PDP and NDC, other political entities have also been impacted. The Social Democratic Party (SDP), for instance, has seen its governorship candidates in Oyo and Benue states similarly omitted, though these parties have also voiced optimism that these issues will ultimately be resolved. For context, the published list for Kano State did include Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and Murtala Sule Garo representing the All Progressives Congress (APC), alongside Abacha Muhammad Sani and Kibiya Yusuf Ado for the PDP, as well as candidates from the African Democratic Congress, Peoples Redemption Party, and Social Democratic Party, underscoring the selective nature of the omissions.

Lawyers representing political parties or candidates must closely monitor the resolution of these omissions by INEC and be prepared to advise on potential legal challenges or rectification processes, especially given the NDC's stated intent to pursue legal action to secure their candidate's inclusion.

Source: Original reporting via LEADERSHIP newspaper