2027: Omitted Bauchi gov’ship candidates to meet INEC leadership

Political parties whose governorship candidates were excluded from the published list by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Bauchi State have announced plans to meet with the commission’s national leadership to resolve the issue.

INEC omitted the governorship candidates of four political parties—the Social Democratic Party (SDP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Action Alliance (AA), and Accord Party—when it published the list of candidates and their running mates on its official website. The commission listed 15 candidates cleared to contest the election to succeed Governor Bala Mohammed in 2027.

Parties whose candidates appeared on the official list include the African Action Congress (AAC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Democratic Party (ADP), All Progressives Congress (APC), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Action Peoples Party (APP), Labour Party (LP), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), National Democratic Party (NDP), and National Rescue Movement (NRM).

INEC has yet to clarify why the candidates of the four affected parties were omitted. A senior INEC official in Bauchi State told our correspondent that only the commission’s national headquarters in Abuja could provide an official explanation. The omission leaves the nomination status and participation of the affected candidates in the upcoming election unclear.

Reactions have followed from leaders of the affected parties across Bauchi State.

The Deputy Governorship Candidate of the NNPP, Abubakar Zakari, said the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Agbo Major, confirmed that the party’s national leadership would engage INEC to determine the cause of the omission and revert to members. Zakari appealed to supporters and the people of Bauchi State to remain calm while awaiting official clarification.

Similarly, the Bauchi State Chairman of the NNPP, Alhaji AbdulKarim Matori, appealed for calm following the omission of its governorship candidate, Ambassador Shuaibu Ahmed, and his running mate, Abubakar Zakari. Matori expressed optimism that the omission was inadvertent and assured supporters that steps were being taken to resolve the matter.

“The NNPP understands the disquiet and apprehension this omission has raised among our teeming supporters across Bauchi State,” Matori said. He urged members to remain united and focused on grassroots mobilization, expressing confidence that the issue would be resolved through proper administrative and legal channels.

On his part, the State Chairman of the SDP, Alhaji Nasiru, stated that the party would convene an emergency meeting to review the omission of its candidates before communicating its stance to the national executive.

Likewise, Mallam Kabiru Garba of the Action Alliance assured members that the party’s legal team at the national level would approach INEC for clarification, calling on party faithful to remain hopeful and calm.

The 2027 governorship election in Bauchi State is expected to draw strong political competition. Meanwhile, parties whose candidates were successfully cleared have continued their strategic planning and mobilization efforts toward the 2027 polls.