Abuja, Nigeria — The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has deposed to a sworn affidavit at the Federal High Court Registry in Abuja, formally notifying the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the alleged wrongful omission of its governorship candidates for Gombe and Ogun States from the final candidate list for the 2027 elections.
The affidavit, sighted by a ValidViewNetwork correspondent, was sworn to by the party’s National Organizing Secretary, Hon. Umar Bature, and stamped as received by the court on October 15, 2026.
The affidavit is a statutory notification supported by oath, filed pursuant to Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The Omission
INEC published the final list of governorship candidates on October 10, 2026, pursuant to Section 32(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
Upon inspection, the PDP observed that the names of its candidates—Isa Ali Ibrahim for Gombe State and Oladipupo Adebutu for Ogun State—were conspicuously absent.
The affidavit asserts that an earlier provisional list published by INEC on August 29, 2026, had featured both names, and that the omission was not due to withdrawal, disqualification, or any failure to meet statutory requirements.
GOMBE STATE: A COURT-ORDERED RERUN
The affidavit details that the PDP conducted its initial Gombe governorship primary on May 20, 2026, which produced Isa Ali Ibrahim as the winner.
However, the outcome was challenged in Suits No. FHC/GMC/S/9/2026 and FHC/GMC/S/10/2026.
The Federal High Court, Gombe Judicial Division, presided over by Hon. Justice A. A. Muhammad, nullified the primary and ordered a fresh election.
Pursuant to that judgment, the PDP conducted a court-ordered primary on September 29, 2026, wherein Ibrahim again emerged as the winner.
The party states it duly submitted his nomination forms to INEC and received an official Acknowledgement Receipt marked as Exhibit PDP G.
OGUN STATE: ADEBUTU’S NOMINATION
For Ogun State, the PDP held its primary on May 24, 2026, producing Oladipupo Adebutu as its flagbearer.
The affidavit states that the party submitted his requisite particulars, credentials, and nomination forms to INEC, with an Acknowledgement Receipt marked as Exhibit PDP O.
INEC’S STATED LEGAL BASIS
The omission is not isolated to the PDP.
Reports indicate that INEC excluded several candidates from the final list, citing compliance with a Supreme Court judgment delivered on September 24, 2026, in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party (Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026) .
That judgment upheld the constitutionality of Sections 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which require political parties to submit their membership registers to INEC within a prescribed period and use those registers for primaries .
INEC has stated that parties which failed to comply with these membership register requirements are ineligible to sponsor candidates.
INEC has given parties until October 24, 2026—14 days from the October 10 publication, to notify it of any complaints regarding omissions, in line with Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act.
THE AFFIDAVIT’S LEGAL POSITION
The PDP’s affidavit, however, maintains that the omission of its candidates was not due to any statutory non-compliance.
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Paragraph 17 states:
“That in line with Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, the Peoples Democratic Party is submitting this formal notification and complaint to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) within the stipulated 14-day window from the date of publication of the candidates’ list.”
The party is urging INEC to rectify the omission by publishing the names of Isa Ali Ibrahim and Oladipupo Adebutu as its official governorship candidates for Gombe and Ogun States, respectively.
WHAT SECTION 32(2) SAYS
Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, provides the procedural avenue for political parties to challenge omissions.
As reported, the provision requires a party that believes its candidate was wrongly omitted to notify INEC in writing, supported by an affidavit, within 14 days of the list’s publication .
The PDP’s filing appears to follow this procedure precisely.
The affidavit was sworn to at the Federal High Court Registry, Abuja, and stamped as received on October 15, 2026.
It remains to be seen whether INEC will accept the PDP’s position or maintain that the party failed to comply with the membership register requirements.
The October 24 deadline will be decisive.
ValidViewNetwork will continue monitoring INEC’s response as the deadline approaches.