The political fate of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Ali Pantami, former Ogun State governorship candidate Oladipupo Adebutu, and Kano State candidate Aminu Gwarzo remains uncertain following the expiration of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s deadline for resolving complaints over omitted candidates in the 2027 governorship elections.

The deadline expired on Saturday, October 24, amid unresolved protests by the Peoples Democratic Party and the Nigeria Democratic Congress over the exclusion of their candidates from INEC’s final list.

Despite representations by the affected parties, the commission has yet to announce whether it will amend the list, leaving the candidates’ participation in the February 6, 2027 governorship elections in doubt.

Findings indicated that negotiations and legal efforts by the parties had yet to produce a resolution before the deadline elapsed.

INEC had attributed the exclusions to a Supreme Court judgment delivered on September 24, 2026, in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, which upheld Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026.

The provisions require political parties to submit their membership registers to the commission within the stipulated period and use the registers for their primaries, congresses and conventions.

Following the publication of its final list of candidates on October 10, INEC gave political parties until October 24 to report alleged omissions, in accordance with Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026.

However, the affected parties insist that they complied with the legal requirements and have urged the commission to correct what they describe as wrongful exclusions.

PDP Challenges Omission of Pantami, Adebutu

The PDP has maintained that it fulfilled the statutory requirements for nominating its governorship candidates in Gombe and Ogun states.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mohammed Jungudo, previously said that the party leadership and the legal teams of the affected candidates had approached INEC over the omissions.

He said the party would consider legal action if the commission failed to resolve the matter within the stipulated 14-day period.

On October 15, the PDP, through its National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, filed an affidavit at the Federal High Court Registry in Abuja challenging the omission of Pantami and Adebutu from the final list.

The affidavit maintained that the candidates had satisfied the relevant requirements and urged INEC to restore their names.

In Ogun State, Afolabi Orekoya, Director of Media for the Ladi Adebutu Campaign Organisation, expressed confidence that the commission would include the former governorship candidate in a revised list.

Orekoya said the PDP had formally approached INEC and completed the necessary processes to address the omission.

“We have approached INEC, and we have done all the necessary things required of us. We are very confident that by October 24, the name of Hon. Ladi Adebutu will be published by INEC in the revised list of candidates,” he said.

He added that Adebutu remained optimistic about contesting the election and continued to encourage party members.

Similarly, the PDP Chairman in Ogun State, Abayomi Tella, described the omission as an error, insisting that the party had complied with the Constitution and the Electoral Act.

Tella said the party submitted its complaint within the legally prescribed period and expected INEC to rectify the omission.

“The party views the omission as an error by INEC; we are very confident and optimistic that INEC will restore the name because every requirement of the law has been fulfilled,” he said.

He added that the party remained confident that the commission would take the necessary action.

Pantami Vows Legal Fight Against Exclusion

In Gombe State, an aide to Pantami, who spoke condition of anonymity, said the former minister would pursue all available legal options to challenge his exclusion.

According to the aide, Pantami’s lawyers had written to INEC demanding an explanation and action over the omission.

“Malam has chosen to fight this illegality. We have appealed this illegality. You saw the letter written by Senior Advocates of Nigeria and their 72-hour order. We have chosen to appeal this case, and until we get a solution, we will not back out,” the aide said.

Pantami’s name was missing from INEC’s final list despite his emergence as the PDP governorship candidate following a court-ordered rerun of the party’s primary on September 29.

His name had appeared on the commission’s provisional list published on August 29 but was excluded from the final list released on October 10.

NDC Protests Exclusion of Kano Candidates

The Nigeria Democratic Congress has also challenged the exclusion of its Kano State governorship candidate, Aminu Gwarzo, and his running mate, Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, told The PUNCH that the NDC had written to INEC and received acknowledgements of its correspondence but had yet to receive a substantive response.

He said the party would consider legal action if the commission failed to address the matter.

The unresolved dispute has left the NDC candidates’ participation in the February 2027 election uncertain, with the deadline for reporting omissions now expired.

Group Demands Explanation From INEC

Meanwhile, the National Association of Achievers Movement has called on INEC to explain the exclusion of some governorship candidates and clarify the circumstances surrounding the inclusion of others whose nomination processes have attracted public scrutiny.

In a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by its National President, Prof Bishop-Fumlack Victor, the association cited the exclusions of Pantami, Adebutu and Gwarzo.

It also questioned the inclusion of Senator Shehu-Buba Umar of the Peoples Redemption Party in Bauchi State, former Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Adamu of the Social Democratic Party in Nasarawa State, and Kingsley Chinda of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State.

The group said the commission needed to demonstrate that it had applied the same legal standards consistently and transparently to all political parties and candidates.

“Our concern is that INEC should demonstrate that the same applicable legal standards have been applied fairly, consistently and transparently to every political party and candidate,” the statement read.

The association clarified that it was not demanding the automatic reinstatement of the omitted candidates or the disqualification of those whose names appeared on the list. Rather, it called on INEC to explain the legal and factual basis for its decisions.

INEC, however, maintained that political parties that failed to satisfy the statutory requirements were ineligible to sponsor candidates, adding that it relied on the Supreme Court judgment when compiling the final list of governorship candidates.

With the October 24 deadline having passed and no resolution announced in the account provided, the dispute over the affected candidates’ eligibility remains unresolved.