2027 Governorship election: Pantami, Adebutu, Gwarzo face uncertainty
by Adeola Balogun · The Eagle OnlineThe political ambitions of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Ali Pantami, and former Ogun State governorship candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu, remain uncertain following the expiration on Saturday of the deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission for addressing complaints over the omission of candidates from its final list for the 2027 elections, reports The Punch.
The Peoples Democratic Party and the Nigeria Democratic Congress have complained to INEC about the exclusion of their candidates, but the commission has yet to indicate whether it will revise the list following the parties’ representations.
Findings by Sunday PUNCH showed that negotiations and legal efforts by the affected parties had yet to yield a resolution, leaving Pantami, Adebutu and the NDC governorship candidate in Kano State, Aminu Gwarzo, uncertain about their participation in the February 6, 2027 governorship elections.
INEC had attributed the exclusions to the Supreme Court judgment in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, delivered on September 24, 2026, 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.
The commission subsequently gave political parties until October 24 to notify it of candidates allegedly omitted from the final list, which was published on October 10, in line with Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
However, the affected parties insist that they complied with the requirements and urged the commission to correct what they describe as wrongful omissions.
The PDP has maintained that it fulfilled the requirements for the nomination of its governorship candidates in Gombe and Ogun states.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mohammed Jungudo, had told Sunday PUNCH that its leadership and the affected candidates’ legal teams had approached INEC over the omissions.
He said the party would consider legal action if the commission failed to resolve the matter within the 14-day window.
On October 15, the PDP, through its National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, deposed to an affidavit at the Federal High Court Registry in Abuja, challenging the omission of Pantami and Adebutu from the final list.
The affidavit stated that the candidates had met the relevant requirements and urged INEC to restore their names.
In Ogun State, the Director of Media for the Ladi Adebutu Campaign Organisation, Afolabi Orekoya, expressed confidence that INEC would include the former governorship candidate in its revised list.
He said the PDP had approached the commission 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,” Orekoya said.
He added that Adebutu remained optimistic about contesting the election and had continued to encourage party members.
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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.
He said the party had lodged its complaint within the period provided by law and expected INEC to correct 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,” Tella said.
He added that the party was not perturbed by the development because it believed the commission would take the necessary action.
In Gombe State, an aide to Pantami, who spoke to Sunday PUNCH on condition of anonymity, said the former minister would pursue available legal options to challenge his exclusion.
The aide said Pantami’s lawyers had written to INEC, demanding that the commission address 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 omitted from the 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 INEC’s provisional list published on August 29 but was missing from the final list released on October 10.
The NDC also rejected the exclusion of its Kano State governorship candidate, Gwarzo, and his running mate, Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, had told The PUNCH that the NDC had written to INEC and received acknowledgements of its letters but was yet to receive a substantive response.
He said the party would explore legal options if the commission failed to address the omission.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Achievers Movement has called on INEC to explain the exclusion of some governorship candidates from its final list and clarify the circumstances surrounding the inclusion of others whose nomination processes have attracted public scrutiny.
In a statement on Wednesday and signed by its National President, Prof Bishop-Fumlack Victor, the association cited the exclusion 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, whose nomination processes it said had attracted public scrutiny.
The group said INEC needed to demonstrate that the same legal standards had been applied 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.
It clarified that it was not demanding the automatic reinstatement of the omitted candidates or the disqualification of those included, but wanted the commission to explain the legal and factual basis for its decisions.
INEC said parties that failed to meet the requirements were ineligible to sponsor candidates, adding that it applied the Supreme Court judgment when preparing the final list of governorship candidates.
The PUNCH
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