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Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is scheduled to consider petitions from political parties and aspirants whose names were omitted from its published lists of candidates for the 2027 general elections, with a meeting expected on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
The affected politicians include former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Isa Ali Pantami, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, and several candidates of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). Their parties have challenged their exclusion and are seeking clarification from the electoral commission.
Pantami’s case concerns the Gombe State governorship election. He emerged as the PDP candidate following a court-ordered rerun of the party’s primary on September 29, but his name was missing from INEC’s published list. The party maintains that it complied with the requirements for nominating its candidate and has asked the commission to reconsider the matter.
Adebutu was also omitted from the list for the Ogun State governorship election. Other complaints involve NDC candidates in Kano and Kaduna states, alongside candidates in additional states who say their names were wrongly excluded.
INEC has linked the exclusions to provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 requiring political parties to submit their membership registers within a prescribed period. The commission has cited a Supreme Court judgment delivered on September 24, which upheld those requirements and their application to party primaries.
The affected parties have disputed aspects of the exclusions and submitted petitions before the deadline of October 24. The commission is reviewing the complaints and has reportedly prepared a preliminary assessment ahead of its scheduled meeting.
The outcome could determine whether any changes are made to the published candidate lists. However, no final decision on the petitions had been publicly announced as of October 26.
The matter is significant because candidate eligibility can shape the political contests in several states ahead of the 2027 elections. It also highlights the importance of compliance with electoral laws and the procedures available to parties seeking corrections.
INEC’s forthcoming decisions are expected to clarify the status of the affected aspirants and whether further legal proceedings may be necessary.
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