INEC EXPLAINS OMISSION OF ADEBUTU, PANTAMI, OTHERS, OPENS 14-DAY WINDOW FOR OMITTED CANDIDATES

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has given political parties until October 24, 2026, to formally notify it of any complaints over the omission of their candidates from the final list for the 2027 governorship elections.

The INEC October 24 deadline directive was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday evening by the commission’s National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, amid growing controversy over the exclusion of several prominent politicians from the final list.

THE DEADLINE

INEC said the deadline was in line with Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which provides a 14-day window for political parties to notify the commission if they believe their candidates were wrongly excluded from the published list .

“Under Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, political parties that believe their candidates were wrongly left off the list have 14 days from the date of publication to notify the Commission. The deadline is 24th October, 2026,” the statement read .

The 14-day window runs from the publication of the final list on Saturday, October 10, 2026 .

THE SUPREME COURT JUDGMENT

INEC explained that the omission of some candidates followed a Supreme Court judgment delivered on September 24, 2026, in the case of INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026 .

The apex court upheld Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which make the submission of party membership registers mandatory. The court also upheld Item 2 of INEC’s timetable and schedule of activities, which required political parties to submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.

According to INEC, the Supreme Court held that compliance with these provisions was mandatory and that political parties that failed to submit their membership registers were ineligible to sponsor candidates in the elections.

The commission said it relied on the judgment when preparing the final list of governorship candidates, in line with Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which requires authorities to enforce decisions of superior courts.

THE TIMING DISCREPANCY

INEC also clarified a key timing issue. The commission noted that the final lists of presidential and National Assembly candidates had been published on September 12, 2026 — 13 days before the Supreme Court delivered its judgment .

This means the federal election candidates were published before the court decision, while the governorship candidates’ list was finalised after the judgment and in accordance with it .

THE AFFECTED CANDIDATES

Among those missing from the final list are the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidates in Ogun and Gombe states, Oladipupo Adebutu and Professor Isa Ali Pantami, respectively .

Also omitted was the Nigeria Democratic Congress governorship candidate in Kano State, Comrade Aminu Abdulsalam Gwarzo, while the African Democratic Congress in Jigawa State protested the omission of its endorsed deputy governorship candidate, Aminu Ringim, and several other candidates.

In Kaduna State, the NDC’s governorship candidate, Danjuma La’ah, was also omitted, with the party’s state chairman blaming the omission on errors during online submission.

The affected parties also include the Social Democratic Party, whose governorship candidates in Oyo, Bauchi, Benue and Sokoto states were missing from the list .

THE PARTIES’ REACTIONS

The affected political parties have reacted with a mix of anger, disbelief and determination to pursue remedies.

The PDP said it had begun engaging INEC to resolve the omissions in accordance with electoral laws and guidelines. Its National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, said the party was treating the matter seriously and remained committed to ensuring the legitimacy concerns were addressed .

In Ogun State, Adebutu said his omission did not signify the end of his ambition, insisting that he had completed his digital registration and submitted the required documentation within the stipulated period .

“I remain a duly registered member of the Peoples Democratic Party. I completed my digital registration within the stipulated period, and my membership card was printed and verified. My documentation was duly submitted to INEC within the prescribed time,” he said .

In Gombe, the Pantamiyya Movement described the omission as “a temporary challenge and a normal part of the electoral process, not a final determination.”

A statement by its spokesperson, Professor Suleiman Mohammed, said Pantami’s legal and liaison teams were engaging relevant party organs and INEC to address the omission .

The NDC said it had not gone to court, insisting that it was discussing with INEC to resolve the discrepancies and would explore the 14-day window provided by the Electoral Act 2026 to correct errors identified in its submission .

“We have not gone to court. As a party, we are still discussing with INEC to arrive on the same 14-day window provided by the Electoral Act 2026 to correct the errors that are noted in the publication,” NDC National Publicity Secretary Araba Director said .

The SDP, however, said it had begun the legal process. “We have done the affidavit, we are with it, we have served INEC. We have hope in the judiciary; the process, we have activated it,” SDP National Publicity Secretary Araba Rufus Abiyegba said .

THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK

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Under Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, a registered political party that discovers its candidate’s name is missing must notify INEC in writing within 14 days of publication.

The notification must be signed by the party’s national chairman and secretary and supported by an affidavit.The affected parties have 14 days from October 10 to file the notification. The window closes on October 24.

WHY IT MATTERS

The omissions have raised serious questions about INEC’s processes and about the fairness of the 2027 election. If the omissions are the result of administrative errors, they should be corrected. If they are the result of non-compliance with the law, they should be explained.

The Supreme Court judgment that triggered the omissions has been described by legal experts as clear and unambiguous.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Adeboro Adamson, said court challenges to the omissions would be a “waste of time” given the apex court’s interpretation of Section 77.

“The party must comply with the law. So when the party fails to comply with the law, then the party must bear the consequence. That is the essence of section 77 subsection 7,” Adamson said .

But for the affected candidates and their supporters, the legal technicalities are secondary to the political reality: their names are not on the ballot, and the clock is ticking. ValidViewNetwork reports that INEC has demanded formal complaints. The 14-day window closes on October 24.