Lagos – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced on Thursday that it has removed a number of aspirants from the list of candidates eligible to contest the 2027 state governorship elections. The commission gave political parties a strict cut‑off of October 24 to file any legal challenge, after which the names will be deemed final.
Who Was Omitted?
Among the most prominent figures excluded are former minister Abdulrasheed Pantami, former Ogun State deputy governor Yemi Adebutu, and former Zamfara State commissioner Gambo Gwarzo. All three are members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). INEC said the individuals failed to satisfy statutory requirements laid out in the Electoral Act, including incomplete documentation and non‑payment of prescribed fees. The commission also noted that several smaller parties submitted incomplete or erroneous nomination forms, leading to the omission of their candidates as well.
Appeal Process and Deadline
INEC officials stipulated that aggrieved parties have exactly 14 days to lodge a petition with the commission’s legal department. The deadline, set for October 24, is non‑negotiable. Failure to meet the timeline will result in the permanent exclusion of the listed candidates from the 2027 governorship contests.
"The deadline for filing any challenge is 14 days from today, i.e., October 24," an INEC spokesperson told reporters, according to multiple local outlets.
The commission warned that any appeal submitted after the cut‑off will be dismissed outright, and it reaffirmed that the list will be forwarded to the Supreme Court for final validation before the election calendar is locked.
Political Reactions
The excluded candidates and their parties have publicly contested the decision. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) issued a statement calling the exclusions “procedurally opaque” and urged the commission to revisit the vetting criteria. The APC, while acknowledging the rulings, defended INEC’s authority, saying the commission is “upholding the integrity of the electoral process.” The Whistler Newspaper reported that the party’s national chairman warned of “unnecessary disruption” to the election timeline if the matter escalates to the courts.
Legal scholars note that the 14‑day window is consistent with past INEC practices, but they caution that the high‑profile nature of the omitted candidates could spark prolonged litigation. If successful, a court order could force INEC to re‑issue a revised candidate list, potentially compressing the already tight timetable for the 2027 elections.
Implications for the 2027 General Elections
Nigeria is slated to hold its presidential election in February 2027, followed by state governorship polls later in the year. The current President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has faced criticism over the perceived politicisation of INEC’s processes. International observers, including the African Union’s electoral monitoring team, have emphasised the need for transparency and adherence to deadlines to preserve confidence in Nigeria’s democratic transition.
As the October 24 deadline looms, all eyes are on how quickly the affected parties mobilise legal teams and whether the disputes will be settled before the election calendar tightens. INEC’s next steps, including the finalisation of the governorship candidate list, will be a litmus test for the commission’s capacity to manage one of Africa’s largest democratic exercises.
