INEC Deadline Expires: Has Kano’s Aminu Gwarzo, Gombe’s Pantami case been resolved?

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) acknowledged receipt of its complaints over the omission of its candidate’s name, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, in the list of candidates for Kano State governorship election, but has yet to issue a final response.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has filed an affidavit seeking the reinstatement of Isa Pantami’s name on the Gombe governorship candidate list.

Besides, Gwarzo and Pantami, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) candidate in Oyo, Adebiyi Adedapo, and Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidates in Oyo and Benue, have also complained about the omission of their names.

The controversy surrounding the exclusion of NDC’s Gwarzo, and PDP’s Pantami, and others remains unresolved after the deadline set by the INEC for submission of complaints expired on Saturday, October 24, 2026.

Media reports as of Sunday, October 25, indicated that the commission had yet to announce whether it would amend the list of candidates it published. Consequently, the status of Gwarzo’s and Pantami’s candidacies remained uncertain ahead of the governorship elections scheduled for February 6, 2027.

NDC Files Complaint but Awaits Final Response

The NDC said it had written to INEC seeking a review of the exclusion of Gwarzo and his running mate, Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso, from the list of Kano governorship candidates.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, told newsmen that the commission had received and acknowledged the party’s complaint letters but had not issued a final response by the time the deadline expired.

The NDC Chairman in Kano State, Hussaini Mairiga, also said the party submitted its complaint through its national leadership in line with the procedure outlined by the commission.

Mairiga maintained that Gwarzo was a duly registered member of the party, stating that he registered on May 5, 2026. He said the party hoped that a review of its membership registration records would establish the candidate’s eligibility.

However, the available reports did not confirm that INEC had upheld the NDC’s complaint or restored the names of its candidates to the published list.

PDP Takes Legal Action over Pantami’s Exclusion

In Gombe State, the PDP challenged Pantami’s exclusion from the governorship candidate list, insisting that it had fulfilled the requirements for nominating him.

Pantami emerged as the party’s candidate after a fresh primary election held on September 29, 2026, following a court order. His name appeared on INEC’s provisional list published on August 29 but was absent from the final list released on October 10.

LEADERSHIP reports indicated that the PDP filed an affidavit at the Federal High Court registry in Abuja on October 15, challenging the exclusion of Pantami and its governorship candidate in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu. The party asked the commission to restore their names to the list.

Despite the legal step, reports published after the deadline did not establish that INEC had granted the PDP’s request or reinstated Pantami.

INEC’s Official Position

In a statement issued on October 13, 2026, INEC said the exclusion of certain political parties and their candidates from the final list followed the Supreme Court judgment delivered on September 24, 2026, in the case of INEC v. Zenith Labour Party.

The commission said the Supreme Court upheld Sections 77(5) to 77(7) of the Electoral Act 2026, which require political parties to submit their membership registers within the stipulated period to enable them to conduct valid party primaries.

INEC said its timetable provided for the submission of membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026. It added that parties that failed to meet the requirement were not eligible to nominate candidates.

The commission also cited Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, which it said allows political parties that believe their candidates were wrongly excluded to notify it within 14 days of the publication of the candidate list. INEC set October 24 as the deadline for submitting such complaints.

However, the commission’s statement outlined its general position on membership registration requirements and the exclusion of candidates. It did not specify its decisions on the NDC’s complaint concerning Gwarzo or the PDP’s complaint concerning Pantami.

Were All the Required Documents Submitted?

Available reports confirmed that the NDC sent complaint letters and that INEC acknowledged receiving them. However, there was no independent confirmation that the party had submitted every document required by law or that the commission had accepted its complaint.

Regarding the PDP, news reports indicated that the party filed an affidavit seeking the reinstatement of Pantami and Adebutu. It remained unclear whether the action had resulted in the changes the party was seeking.

What Happens Next?

With the October 24 deadline now expired, the matter remains uncertain. The NDC has said it would pursue legal options if the commission fails to resolve its complaint, while the PDP has already taken legal action over the exclusion of some of its candidates.

As of the latest reports available, there was no INEC announcement confirming that Gwarzo or Pantami had been restored to the final candidate list.

The matter therefore cannot be considered resolved until the commission announces a specific decision or publishes a revised list showing the changes.