Several political parties have approached the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the absence of their candidates from the final list for the 2027 general elections, raising concerns about who will eventually appear on the ballot.
The affected parties include the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Action Alliance (AA), with complaints emerging from different states.
Some party officials suspect errors in the processing or publication of candidates’ details, while others point to internal leadership disagreements, disputed primaries and ongoing court cases. The Action Alliance has said it may seek legal redress over the exclusion of some of its nominees.
Among the notable politicians missing from the list are former Communications and Digital Economy Minister Isa Pantami, the PDP’s governorship candidate in Gombe State, and its Ogun State candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu. Other affected figures include Kano NDC candidate Aminu Gwarzo, former senator Danjuma Tella La’ah in Kaduna State and Benue SDP candidate Sebastine Hon.
The affected parties say they are seeking clarification from INEC and exploring available legal options. However, the circumstances surrounding the omissions differ from state to state, and the commission had not publicly confirmed several of the explanations offered by party officials.
PDP candidates missing in Ogun, Gombe
The PDP said it was in talks with INEC following the exclusion of its governorship candidates in Ogun and Gombe states.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, said in a Sunday statement that the leadership was working to address the matter through the established electoral process.
It also appealed to affected candidates and supporters not to take actions that could interfere with the ongoing discussions.
The party said, “The party wishes to assure all affected candidates, members and supporters that it is already engaging with INEC to address the issues responsible for the omissions, with a view to securing an amicable resolution in accordance with the law and established electoral guidelines.
“The PDP, therefore, assures all concerned that it is treating this development with the utmost seriousness it deserves and will communicate further developments as appropriate.
“The party is committed to ensuring that all legitimate concerns are properly addressed with the commission.
“Consequently, the party calls on all affected candidates, members and supporters to remain calm, exercise patience and refrain from actions or statements capable of undermining the ongoing engagements with the commission.”
INEC’s published list contained 13 governorship candidates in Ogun and 16 in Gombe, but neither state had a PDP candidate on the list.
Adebutu insisted that he remained a registered PDP member and had completed the required registration and documentation within the stipulated period. He also maintained that the primary election that produced him as the party’s nominee was observed by INEC officials.
Speaking to supporters, he said, “I am aware of the concerns following the omission of my name from INEC’s published list of Ogun governorship candidates for the 2027 election. I consider it important to address you directly and reassure you that there is no cause for alarm.
“I remain a duly registered member of the Peoples Democratic Party. I completed my digital registration within the stipulated period, and my membership card was printed and verified. My documentation was duly submitted to INEC within the prescribed time. I have not at any point left the PDP, and my commitment to our great party remains unwavering.
“The governorship primary that produced me as the party’s candidate was conducted with INEC officials in attendance as observers. The relevant documents were presented for verification, certification and confirmation. These are important facts that must not be overlooked in the present circumstances.”
Adebutu alleged that the APC had put pressure on the Ogun PDP and questioned why his name was absent while the party’s candidates for legislative positions in the state were listed.
He said the PDP would pursue the issue through the appropriate channels, adding, “No amount of intimidation should prevent the people of Ogun State from having a fair opportunity to choose leaders of choice.”
The APC governorship candidate’s media aide, Kayode Odunaro, rejected the allegation, arguing that the PDP should examine whether it had complied with INEC’s procedures.
He said, “How can anyone now attribute the failure of PDP to follow through on simple administrative procedures and adherence to rules of the game to pressure from APC on INEC leading to the non-listing of their candidate as a contestant?
“Besides, other candidates from other states suffered the same fate as factional PDP in Ogun State for similar non-adherence to the law. The nationally comatose PDP should stop the blame game on APC and its flagbearer, Senator Solomon Adeola, for all their gambling tendencies in simple matters of following laid-down rules,” he said.
Odunaro added that the APC was prepared to contest against any candidate recognised by INEC.
Pantami’s supporters await resolution
In Gombe, Pantami’s camp urged supporters to remain patient as efforts continued to address his omission.
Pantami became the PDP’s governorship candidate after a fresh primary held on September 29, 2026, following a Federal High Court order for another exercise to determine the party’s nominee.
The spokesperson for the Pantamiyya Movement, Prof. Suleiman Mohammed, said the omission had caused concern but should not be taken as the final word on Pantami’s candidacy.
In a statement shared on Pantami’s Facebook page, Mohammed said, “Our attention has been drawn to the non-publication of the name of our candidate from the fresh primary election of September 29, 2026, as ordered by the Federal High Court, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami).
“We wish to assure all our supporters to remain calm, steadfast, and hopeful. This is a temporary challenge and a normal part of the electoral process, not a final determination, in sha Allah.”
He said the candidate’s legal and liaison teams were discussing the matter with party officials and INEC.
“Our legal and liaison teams are already engaging with the relevant organs of the party and INEC to ensure full compliance and rectification within the window provided by law. By the grace of Allah, this matter will be resolved,” he said.
Mohammed also alleged that unnamed individuals were attempting to frustrate responsible leadership in the state. He encouraged supporters to continue their mobilisation.
“We urge our supporters to continue their mobilisation and to remain focused on our collective ideology of service to humanity,” he said.
Kano NDC blames possible administrative error
The NDC in Kano State said it would seek INEC’s intervention over the omission of its governorship candidate, Aminu Gwarzo, and his running mate, Mustapha Kwankwaso.
State chairman Hussaini Mairiga said the party had submitted the candidates’ details within the required period and in line with the relevant guidelines.
He maintained that the missing names did not invalidate the party’s ticket.
“Gwarzo’s name was submitted to INEC, and he and his running mate, Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso, are the authentic flagbearers of the party,” he said.
Mairiga said he expected the issue to be resolved, adding, “I believe there is a mix-up somewhere, and I do not think the list is from the commission, since we are sure that the name we submitted is what stands.”
He further stated, “INEC cannot substitute our names; they just have to work on the names we presented to them,” he said.
The party’s Public Relations Officer, Yusif Fasaha, also blamed a technical problem and claimed that INEC had promised to make corrections.
“I want to assure you, as the PRO of the party, the problem is not from us. We have consulted the INEC, and they told us that the problem was from the computer, and they will rectify it,” Fasaha said in a statement reported by the News Agency of Nigeria.
INEC had not publicly confirmed that a computer problem caused the omission.
Action Alliance prepares to challenge exclusions
The Action Alliance said it was considering legal action over the absence of some of its governorship and legislative candidates from the list.
Its National Chairman and presidential candidate, Adekunle Omo-Aje, announced at a town hall meeting in Kaduna on Sunday that the party’s legal team was preparing a formal complaint to INEC.
“There is no cause for alarm. All mechanisms are being put in place to address the issue and ensure that no legitimate candidate of the party is disenfranchised,” he said.
The party identified Eke Israel in Rivers, Titilola-Sodo Dayo in Oyo, Abdullah-Bukharin in Nasarawa and Zubairu Musa in Bauchi as its affected governorship candidates.
Omo-Aje said the omissions also involved candidates for the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly. He pledged to continue pursuing the complaints until the matter was settled.
“We are following up on all the cases diligently and will not relent until the issue is resolved in the interest of justice and democracy,” he said.
He maintained that the party had met INEC’s requirements and called on the commission to improve its checks before publishing candidate lists.
In Jigawa, the ADC protested the omission of its deputy governorship candidate, Aminu Ringim, whose position on the list was taken by Musa Balarabe. The party also reported that about seven other candidates it had endorsed were missing.
The ADC’s Deputy State Chairman, Nuraddeen Jidawa, said the affected names had been submitted in line with INEC’s guidelines.
“The party doesn’t consider the released list as final. We will continue to reach out to the electoral umpire through any legal means,” Jidawa said.
He said the party would continue discussions with INEC over candidates in constituencies including Hadejia/Auyo/Kafin Hausa, Kaugama and Birnin Kudu.
Name discrepancy raises concern in Kaduna
Former senator Danjuma Tella La’ah, the NDC’s governorship candidate in Kaduna, was also absent from the list amid questions over the party’s nomination process.
State chairman Evangelist Mordecai Ibrahim said repeated attempts to register the candidate online during network problems had created confusion over his name.
“The problem is that there was a mix-up of names. The person who registered him made a mistake because, each time there were network issues, we got several people to try registering him,” Ibrahim said.
He added, “They are trying to make sure that Danjuma Tella La’ah and Danjuma La’ah are the same person. That is all.”
Ibrahim said he believed the issue could be resolved but did not confirm whether the party had formally petitioned INEC or commenced legal action.
The omission followed an earlier disagreement within the NDC over whether La’ah or lawyer Mohammed Abbas should be the party’s candidate.
In August, Ibrahim had said, “The bitter truth is that both at the state and national levels, the decision as to who the governorship candidate of Kaduna State, whether Barrister Mohammed Sani Abbas or Senator Danjuma Tella La’ah, has not been taken,” he had said.
INEC had not responded to the chairman’s explanation as of the time of filing the report.
Disputes spread to other states
In Benue, SDP governorship candidate Prof. Sebastine Hon (SAN) was absent from the list of 13 candidates for the position.
The party’s state chairman, Idoko Itodo, described the omission as an error and said Hon had met the membership requirements.
“The omission of our governorship candidate on the latest list must be an error; it has nothing to do with the Supreme Court judgment because our candidate had registered as a party member before the deadline for submission of party membership,” Itodo said.
The party said it would raise the issue with INEC.
In Bauchi, the SDP planned an emergency meeting to discuss the omission of several candidates, including its governorship nominee. State chairman Nasiru Dan-Bauchi linked the situation to internal disagreements and said the chapter would report its position to the party’s national leadership.
The NNPP also expressed concern over the exclusion of its Bauchi governorship candidate, Ambassador Shuaibu Ahmed.
State chairman Abdulkareem Matori said the party believed the omission was unintentional and was taking steps to contact INEC and other relevant authorities.
“The NNPP understands the disquiet and apprehension this omission has raised among our teeming supporters across Bauchi State,” Matori said.
He appealed for unity and continued grassroots mobilisation, saying the party expected the matter to be resolved through lawful means.
“We are confident that the matter will be addressed through the appropriate lawful channels. Amb. Shuaibu Ahmed remains in the race and shall be Bauchi State Governor come 2027,” he said.
In Plateau, PDP governorship aspirant Sunday Biggs was not listed, while Ropshik Wungak appeared as the party’s candidate alongside running mate Kim Dung.
A PDP official, who requested anonymity, linked the development to the dispute between factions associated with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and Tanimu Turaki. The matter remained before the Court of Appeal.
“We have no problem with his missing name. Don’t forget the matter is still in court. In fact, there was a hearing last week because we have this case between Wike and Turaki group which is still pending in the Court of Appeal,” the official said.
In Nasarawa, Accord Party governorship candidate Shuaibu Kubi was missing from the final list. Bukhari Nata’ala of the Action Alliance, whose name appeared in an earlier publication, was also excluded from the final version.
Lagos, Oyo parties contest candidate changes
In Lagos, the controversy has largely centred on party primaries and the replacement of nominees, particularly within the APC.
Ganiyu Egunjobi and Azeez Ninalowo were reported to have won APC primaries in Agege Constituencies I and II but were later dropped from the party’s final list. Both subsequently moved to the Allied Peoples Movement, while other candidates were listed in their places.
The case of Lagos Assembly Majority Leader Noheem Adams also attracted attention. Adams reportedly won the APC primary in Eti-Osa Constituency I with 7,638 votes, compared with Saheed Bankole’s 1,225. Bankole later appeared as the party’s candidate on INEC’s list.
In Oyo, the SDP’s Mogaji Agboola was left out after the party reportedly replaced its earlier nominee, Michael Okunlade. The change raised concerns among party stakeholders, while other candidates faced separate nomination disagreements.
The NDC in Borno also reported that several of its candidates, particularly those seeking state Assembly seats, were missing.
The party’s Publicity Secretary, Aliyu Balarabe, said the state chapter was still checking the affected names before deciding how to proceed.
“There are a lot of issues, but I can’t talk about it for now. It is just like an internal crisis,” he said.
Balarabe also claimed that some names on the Assembly list were unfamiliar to the state chapter, including that of a candidate he said came from Adamawa State.
The ADC, however, said all its candidates in Borno had been listed.
Kwara candidate falls short of age requirement
Unlike the cases involving disputed nominations or alleged technical errors, the exclusion of the AAC governorship candidate in Kwara State was linked to the constitutional age requirement.
Duwatsu Musa confirmed that he was 34 and would turn 35 in February 2027.
“I am currently 34, but will clock 35 next February,” he said.
Section 177(b) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, requires governorship candidates to have attained the age of 35.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, Musa said his removal from the list would not prevent him from expressing his political views.
“INEC has removed my name from the final list on the grounds of age, but this will not stop me from making my political position known,” he said.
He said he would soon announce the candidate he and his supporters planned to support, along with their next political move, while urging party members and followers to remain calm and united.