INEC explains the exclusion of Pantami and Adebutu from the 2027 governorship candidates’ list, citing party membership register requirements
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained why prominent governorship candidates, including Isa Pantami of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State and Ladi Adebutu in Ogun State, were excluded from its final list for the 2027 elections.
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The commission attributed the exclusions to the failure of the affected political parties to submit their membership registers within the statutory timeframe prescribed by the Electoral Act 2026.
The explanation followed complaints from affected parties and candidates after INEC published its final list of governorship candidates.
The Ogun State PDP had alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) exerted undue influence on the commission, while human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong called on the electoral body to maintain its neutrality.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said the commission acted in line with a Supreme Court judgment on the submission of party membership registers.
Haruna said the exclusions followed the Supreme Court’s September 24, 2026, judgment in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026.
According to the commission, the court affirmed the constitutional validity of Section 77(5) to (7) of the Electoral Act 2026, which requires political parties to submit their membership registers to INEC within the prescribed period.
The court also upheld INEC’s timetable requiring parties to submit their registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.
INEC said the Supreme Court ruled that political parties that failed to meet the statutory requirements could not field candidates in the electoral process.
The commission explained that it applied the judgment when compiling the list of governorship candidates, in accordance with Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which requires compliance with decisions of superior courts.
Pantami’s exclusion came despite his victory in a court-ordered rerun of the PDP governorship primary in Gombe State.
Adebutu and his running mate were also absent from the final list published by INEC for Ogun State.
The development prompted objections from affected political actors, particularly over the implications for parties and candidates who had completed their internal selection processes.
However, INEC maintained that the submission of membership registers was a statutory obligation separate from the conduct of party primaries.
The commission’s explanation places compliance with the Electoral Act at the centre of the dispute, rather than the outcome of the primaries alone.
INEC also clarified the procedure available to political parties that believe their candidates were wrongly excluded.
It cited Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, which provides that a political party claiming that its candidate was improperly excluded must notify the commission within 14 days of the publication of the relevant list.
The commission fixed October 24, 2026, as the deadline for submitting such notifications.
INEC further noted that the final lists of presidential and National Assembly candidates had been published on September 12, 2026, before the Supreme Court delivered its September 24 judgment.
The distinction was included in the commission’s explanation of the sequence of events surrounding the publication of candidate lists and the subsequent court ruling.
INEC reiterated its commitment to transparency, the rule of law and the integrity of the electoral process.
The dispute highlights the importance of political parties meeting statutory requirements throughout the election process, including deadlines that apply before candidates are finally listed.
For the affected parties, the immediate issue is whether they can successfully challenge their candidates’ exclusion within the applicable legal framework.
INEC’s stated position is that it acted in accordance with the Electoral Act 2026 and the Supreme Court’s ruling.
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Any challenge to the exclusions will therefore depend on the applicable law and the relevant legal process.
