The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has clarified its exclusion of certain candidates from the final list of candidates for the 2027 governorship elections, attributing the decision to the failure of their respective political parties to submit membership registers in accordance with statutory requirements.
The explanation followed objections raised by affected political parties and candidates after the release of the final list, which notably excluded prominent aspirants, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidates in Gombe and Ogun states, Isa Pantami and Ladi Adebutu, respectively.
Pantami’s exclusion followed his victory in a court-ordered rerun of the PDP governorship primary in Gombe State, while Adebutu and his running mate were also absent from the list.
The Ogun PDP subsequently alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, had exerted undue influence on INEC, while prominent human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong urged the commission to uphold its institutional neutrality.
