INEC List: Don’t Waste Your Money In Courts, Shehu Sani Tells Affected Candidates

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has advised some candidates excluded from the final list released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to waste their money challenging the decision in courts.

INEC released the list following a promise by its Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, who, at a press conference in Abuja earlier in the week, said the commission had received complaints from political parties and aggrieved aspirants concerning the implications of the Supreme Court judgement on eligibility on some candidates.

He said the commission had received the certified true copy of the judgement on Tuesday and was reviewing it to guide its decision on the next line of action.

Daily Trust had reported how the Supreme Court, in its September 24, 2026 judgement, affirmed the constitutionality of Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act 2026 and upheld INEC’s revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 elections.

Following the judgement, INEC said political parties would not be allowed to participate in the 2027 elections if they fielded candidates whose names were not on the registers submitted to the commission within the stipulated period.

Speaking on Trust TV’s Daily Politics on Wednesday evening, INEC National Commissioner in charge of information and voter education, Malam Mohammed Haruna, said affected parties would also not be allowed to substitute such candidates, adding that those who violated the rules would not be allowed to benefit from their offence.

However, some prominent names, including that of the former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isah Ali Ibrahim Pantami, who’s vying for the governorship seat in Gombe State, were missing when the list was released.

Pantami, who was a governorship aspirant under the All Progressives Congress (APC), defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after the ruling party in the state settled for Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna as its consensus candidate.

Others excluded from the INEC’s fresh list include the PDP governorship candidate in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) guber candidate in Kano State, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo.

Reacting to the development in a post on his social media platforms, Shehu Sani advised the affected candidates not to waste their money and energy fighting, according to him, a lost battle.

He said the the Supreme Court judgement that empowered the INEC to remove some candidates was clear.

“The Supreme Court ruling that enabled INEC to exclude some names of candidates is very clear.

“Affected candidates should not waste their money, time and energy fighting a lost battle.” Sani said.

The human rights activist appealed to legal practitioners to counsel the politicians against spending their money in filing fresh suites, saying they should instead use their time in strategising for the future.

“I also wish to appeal to those Barristers and SANs to ‘pity’ those candidates and allow them to rest, and not mislead them into spending more money ‘filing fresh suits’.

“Four years will come and go; let them strategise for the future.” he added.

Shehu Sani is the APC candidate for the Kaduna Central Senatorial seat in the forthcoming 2027 general elections.

Sani won the party’s primary election, held in May, after he defeated his closest challenger, former Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly Yusuf Zailani, in the race.

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