2027: Pantami, Gwarzo in, Adebutu out

After more than two weeks of suspense, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday took a final decision on the fate of candidates nominated by political parties for governorship and House of Assembly seats who were not initially cleared by the commission.

The commission’s top officials, after series of meetings with its chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, 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.

The electoral 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.

INEC explained that the right of those cleared to contest is subject to the outcomes of pending court cases against them.

Daily Trust reports that INEC had on the 10th of October, released a comprehensive list of governorship and House of Assembly candidates cleared to contest on the platforms of various political parties in the 2027 elections but had omitted the names of those whose circumstances for emerging were not clear due to either having contested on the platforms of other parties before defecting to the ones that nominated them, or it was not clear if at the time of their defections, their parties had submitted their voters registers to the electoral commission as statutorily required.

The commission, however, gave a window of 14 days to those omitted to forward their petitions to the commission for possible review.

Our correspondents report that after the close of submission on the 24th, in which all the affected filed their petitions, INEC promised to come up with a final decision on the petitions on the 29th. And after a meeting which lasted for over six hours on Thursday, it declared that some of the candidates have been cleared.

A competent source at INEC, who spoke to Daily Trust after the commission’s meeting on Thursday, said the commission received 69 petitions from political parties concerning omitted candidates for governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.

The source said about 36 petitions were successful, while the others failed.

“We received a total of 69 petitions from political parties. Some of the successful ones, I think about 36, and the rest didn’t succeed,” the source said.

The source, however, said the commission was still awaiting the final figures from its legal department. On Pantami and Gwarzo, the source said the commission had no objection to their candidacy, but noted that the pending court cases could affect their eligibility.

“Yes, Pantami has been cleared,” the source said when asked about the PDP candidate in Gombe State.

On Gwarzo, the source said his clearance remained subject to the outcome of the litigation involving his candidacy.

“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 the commission had no issues with either candidate contesting the election.

“We have no issues with them contesting as candidates,” the source said.

On Adebutu’s, the source said, “He did not succeed.”

The decisions followed complaints by candidates and political parties after INEC omitted their names from the lists published ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Pantami and Gwarzo were among the prominent governorship candidates whose names were missing from the commission’s list released in October.

INEC had attributed the omissions to alleged non-compliance by some political parties with provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026, requiring parties to submit their membership registers.

The commission said its position followed a September 24, 2026, Supreme Court judgement affirming the constitutionality of Section 77(5) to (7) of the Electoral Act, which makes the submission of membership registers mandatory.

Gwarzo had approached the court to challenge the omission of his name and that of his running mate, Rabiu Mustapha, from the list of governorship candidates for Kano State.

In an originating summons dated October 20, 2026, he 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 noting that a court proceeding was expected on Friday.

Meanwhile, Adebutu had questioned his exclusion from the final list of governorship candidates in Ogun State, insisting that he remained a registered member of the PDP and had complied with the party’s membership registration requirements.

Daily Trust gathered that INEC will issue a formal statement on the outcome of the review.

It was not clear as at press time if the Kaduna NDC governorship candidate, Senator Danjuma Laah and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate for Benue State, Sebastine Hon had been cleared.

INEC’s attempted setback increased our popularity, supporters – Gwarzo

Spokesperson to Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, the Kano NDC governorship candidate, Ibrahim Garba Shuaibu, said the controversy surrounding the omission and subsequent Gwarzo’s reinstatement has strengthened the party’s popularity, rather than weakening its prospects ahead of the 2027 election.

Reacting to the restoration of the candidate’s name by INEC, Shuaibu said the party was never alarmed by the earlier development, saying it was convinced that all electoral requirements had been met.

According to him, the decision came as no surprise, as party members viewed the omission as a temporary setback that would eventually be corrected.

“We were not frightened because we followed all the laid-down procedures from party membership to the nomination process and submission of our candidate’s details,” he said.

Shuaibu argued that the episode had generated public sympathy and attracted more supporters to the party.

“What the electoral commission intended as a setback has actually worked in our favour. It has increased our supporters, strengthened our popularity and made more people identify with us,” he said.

He added that the party would continue mobilising voters and promoting its programmes across the state, expressing confidence that the development had further boosted its chances in the forthcoming governorship election.

Spokesman of the Pantamiya Movement, Barrister Ibrahim Attahir, who is one of the members of the former minister’s legal team when contacted, said though the group is happy over the development, it is not surprised by the outcome as it had always believed that the rule of law will prevail in the matter.

He said since democratic rule is based on the rule of law unlike in a military dictatorship where anything goes, the group had been hopeful that at the end of the day, the right thing would be done based on the laws of the land.

“INEC is a product of the law and headed by a professor of law, so we are not surprised that the commission would adhere to democratic tenets and the rule of law,” he stated.

On the pending court cases, Attahir said they’re not shaken as it has confidence in the judiciary.

I’ll continue to challenge Pantami’s candidature – Garry

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Gombe State, Usman Aliyu Garry, has however, vowed to continue challenging the candidacy of Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, insisting that the legal dispute over the party’s governorship ticket remains unresolved.

Garry said there was still a pending case before the court and questioned the criteria used by INEC to recognise or clear Pantami as the party’s candidate for the 2027 governorship election.

He maintained that he would not abandon his challenge until the issues surrounding Pantami’s eligibility were addressed.

Garry also called on INEC to explain the basis for its decision, arguing that the electoral umpire should clarify why it considered Pantami eligible to contest on the PDP platform despite the ongoing legal dispute.

He insisted that the outstanding issues required clarification, particularly as the party’s governorship ticket remained a subject of litigation.

When contacted for a reaction, the PDP’s Publicity Secretary in Gombe State, Abdulkadir Ahmed Dukku, said he was not aware of INEC’s latest decision on the matter.

Dukku, however, said he would consult the party’s leadership to ascertain its position and obtain further clarifications on the development.

Adebutu keeps mum as Iyabo Obasanjo laments the exclusion

Adebutu’s spokesman, Afolabi Orekoya, failed to respond to repeated calls from our correspondent over the lastest decision of the INEC.

Also, a text message sent to him via WhatsApp was not responded to as of the time of this report.

However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate for Ogun Central, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, had accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State of desperation and unwillingness to face a fair electoral contest, following the omission of Adebutu’s name from the list recently published by the INEC.

Obasanjo, a former senator who represented Ogun Central between 2007 and 2011, made the allegation during an interview with The Arena, an Abeokuta-based multi-topic podcast.

She said the circumstances surrounding Adebutu’s omission suggested that political opponents were more interested in eliminating competition than winning elections through the ballot box.

Speaking during the interview, the former Ogun State Commissioner for Health described the development as a threat to Nigeria’s democracy, warning that allowing powerful political interests to manipulate electoral processes could undermine the country’s democratic system.

Obasanjo explained that she initially dismissed rumours about the omission because the lists of senatorial and House of Representatives candidates had already been published.

However, she said further inquiries into Adebutu’s case raised questions about why his name was missing when other PDP candidates had completed the same processes.

“What is it that Hon Ladi did differently from what we did? And when I asked that question, I have a scientific mind. The answer was, he did the exact same thing, right? That we all did. The next question is why is his name not on in the list,” he queried.

How Gwarzo’s reinstatement could alter Kano politics

The reinstatement of Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo as the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate marks a significant twist in Kano’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 election.

The development restores the NDC as an active player and biggest challenger in the governorship race and prevents the party from being sidelined before campaigns fully commence. Gwarzo, a former deputy governor and a well-known figure in Kano politics, brings political experience, name recognition, and an established support base that could make the contest more competitive.

His return could alter political calculations by compelling the major parties to reassess their strategies, alliances, and voter outreach plans. The NDC’s participation may also influence voting patterns by attracting supporters who identify with Gwarzo’s political background and the party’s message.

Rather than a crowded contest among the previously listed candidates, Kano now faces the prospect of a more straight forward and unpredictable two-man race between APC’s Abba Kabir Yusuf and NDC’s Gwarzo.

While the final impact will depend on court rulings and subsequent political alignments, Gwarzo’s reinstatement has undoubtedly injected fresh momentum into the Kano governorship contest and reopened calculations that many observers thought had been settled following his earlier exclusion.

INEC’s clearance of Gwarzo will boost confidence in democracy – Sufi

Political scientist, Dr Kabiru Sufi, in his analysis of the development, said the decision by INEC to clear Gwarzo to contest the Kano State governorship election on the platform of the NDC will boost public confidence in the democratic process.

Sufi said the development had paved the way for competitive democracy in Kano State.

He added that the commission’s explanation for the initial omission and its subsequent decision to clear the candidate would help strengthen public confidence in the electoral process.

On whether the uncertainty surrounding Gwarzo’s candidacy had affected the NDC’s preparations for the election, Sufi said it had initially slowed the party down.

“Yes, I think it did initially, but they had confidence that they would seek redress and they even went to court,” he said.

He expressed optimism that the party could resume its preparations, noting that there was still time for it to make up for the delay.

“I think they still have time to pick up and continue with their preparations,” he added.

Pantami’s clearance

Pantami’s clearance comes after weeks of uncertainty over his candidacy under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), following his omission from INEC’s earlier final list of candidates despite a fresh party primary.

His exclusion had generated reactions among political stakeholders, with some supporters of the ruling APC expressing satisfaction over the development.

However, his subsequent clearance has reopened the prospect of a contest between the PDP and APC as political activities gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The unfolding political situation is expected to shape the contest between the two major parties as they intensify efforts to win the support of voters across Gombe State.

By Musa Luka Musa, Abuja; Sani Ibrahim Paki, Salim Umar Ibrahim, Kano; Rabilu Abubakar, Gombe & Peter Moses, Lagos