The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released its final list of governorship candidates for the 2027 general elections, with several prominent political figures missing from the published documents.
The omissions have raised questions about the eligibility of the affected candidates and the implications for their parties ahead of the governorship elections scheduled for February 6, 2027.
The missing candidates
Among the prominent politicians missing are former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in Gombe State, the party’s governorship candidate in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, and Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate in Kano State.
INEC’s published documents did not provide specific explanations for the omissions. However, the development comes amid legal disputes over compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 governing party membership registers and participation in primaries.
Supreme Court ruling shapes candidates’ eligibility
The exclusions follow a Supreme Court judgment restoring provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 that restrict participation in party primaries to members whose names appear on membership registers submitted to INEC within the legally prescribed period.
The ruling has intensified scrutiny of parties’ nomination processes and the eligibility of candidates produced by disputed primaries.
Pantami’s omission is particularly significant because he emerged from a fresh PDP primary in Gombe following legal challenges to the party’s earlier nomination process.
In Ogun, Adebutu’s absence from the final list has left the PDP without a listed governorship candidate, alongside the omission of his running mate.
The party had rejected allegations questioning Adebutu’s membership registration, insisting that he was a duly registered member and that it complied with the applicable requirements.
In Kano, Gwarzo’s absence has similarly cast uncertainty over the NDC’s participation in the governorship contest.
Candidates cleared across several states
Despite the omissions, INEC’s final lists feature candidates from several political parties contesting governorship seats across the states participating in the February 2027 elections.
Among the incumbent governors listed are Alex Otti of Abia State, Umaru Bago of Niger, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau, Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano, Hyacinth Alia of Benue and Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto.
Other incumbent governors appearing on the lists include Nasir Idris of Kebbi, Bassey Otu of Cross River, Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi, Peter Mbah of Enugu, Umar Namadi of Jigawa, Uba Sani of Kaduna, Dikko Radda of Katsina, Agbu Kefas of Taraba and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara.
The final lists also include candidates from opposition parties and other political platforms, setting the stage for contests across the participating states.
The exclusions are expected to remain a major issue in the affected states as political parties and their candidates consider the legal and political implications of INEC’s published lists.
The excluded sitting-governors
The eight incumbent governors whose states are not participating in the February 6, 2027 governorship elections are:
- Ahmed Usman Ododo — Kogi State
- Biodun Oyebanji — Ekiti State
- Lucky Aiyedatiwa — Ondo State
- Hope Uzodimma — Imo State
- Ademola Adeleke — Osun State
- Monday Okpebholo — Edo State
- Douye Diri — Bayelsa State
- Chukwuma Soludo — Anambra State
These states conduct off-cycle governorship elections rather than voting alongside the February 2027 general elections.
