2027: Protest, relief as INEC releases final candidates’ list

INEC’s published list is the official candidate list released for the presidential, governorship and National Assembly elections. It marks a major stage in preparations for the 2027 polls. Voters, parties and candidates can use it to see whose nominations were included and whose were left out.

The list included 18 presidential candidates and governorship candidates in 26 states. President Bola Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Omoyele Sowore and Seyi Makinde were among the prominent names listed. However, Isa Pantami and Ladi Adebutu were absent from the published names.

The omissions have political and legal significance. Adebutu’s camp accused the APC of pressuring INEC, while Pantami’s supporters called the omission temporary. The article says it was not immediately clear whether the absences resulted from the Supreme Court judgment or other nomination issues. Their camps therefore faced questions about participation as the process continued.

INEC stands for the Independent National Electoral Commission. It is Nigeria’s electoral management body. Its role is to organise and administer national elections, including preparing the candidate lists used for contests such as the presidency, governorships and National Assembly seats.

The article shows this role through INEC’s publication of the final list on its website. The list contained presidential candidates and governorship candidates across 26 states. It included figures such as Bola Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Omoyele Sowore and Seyi Makinde.

The commission’s list matters because it records which nominations were accepted at that stage of the electoral process. It also exposes unresolved disputes when expected names are absent. Pantami, Adebutu and others were missing, leaving their political camps to confront questions about their participation. The article does not detail every INEC verification procedure.

INEC’s published list included 18 presidential candidates. It also contained governorship candidates contesting in 26 states. These figures show that the release covered the central national contest as well as a substantial number of state-level elections.

The listed states included Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Rivers and Zamfara. Among the presidential names were Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and Omoyele Sowore.

The numbers also highlight why omissions attracted attention. Although the list was broad, some prominent candidates were missing from their state contests. The article specifically identifies Pantami in Gombe and Adebutu in Ogun. Their absences raised questions about nominations, party processes and possible legal effects.

The prominent omissions included Isa Pantami, the PDP governorship candidate in Gombe; Ladi Adebutu, the PDP candidate in Ogun; and Aminu Gwarzo, the Nigeria Democratic Congress candidate in Kano. Adebutu’s running mate, Alhaja Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo, and Accord’s Ogun candidate, Alhaji Olaniyi Agbongboakala, were also absent.

Pantami’s nomination had been challenged in court. The Federal High Court in Gombe nullified his earlier emergence after Usman Garry argued that the PDP had not conducted a valid primary. The court ordered a fresh primary. Pantami then won the rerun with 2,024 votes, but his name and the PDP’s were still missing.

Adebutu’s party accused the APC of pressuring INEC to exclude him. The Supreme Court judgment had raised questions about party membership requirements and primary elections. The article says it was unclear whether the omissions directly resulted from that judgment or from other nomination problems. Gwarzo had not reacted.

When a candidate’s name is missing from INEC’s published list, the person’s place in the election becomes uncertain. The article presents the omission as a serious political problem, because the final list marks a major stage in preparations for the polls. It does not state a final legal consequence for every omitted candidate.

Pantami’s case shows the uncertainty clearly. He won a fresh PDP primary with 2,024 votes after a court ordered the rerun, yet neither his name nor the PDP appeared in Gombe’s governorship list. His spokesperson urged supporters to remain calm and called the situation a temporary challenge.

Adebutu’s camp responded differently. The Ogun PDP accused the APC of pressuring INEC to exclude its candidate. Gwarzo had not reacted. The article says it was unclear whether the omissions were caused by the Supreme Court judgment or other nomination issues, so affected camps faced questions about what would happen next.

Party membership and primary-election rules matter because they govern how a political party chooses its candidate. If a party does not meet those requirements, a court can question or invalidate the nomination. The Supreme Court judgment mentioned in the article raised doubts about compliance with party membership rules and the conduct of primaries.

Pantami provides the clearest example. Usman Garry argued that the PDP announced Pantami on June 26, 2026, without conducting the required valid governorship primary. The Federal High Court in Gombe accepted the challenge, set aside Pantami’s earlier emergence and ordered a fresh primary under party guidelines and electoral laws.

The PDP held the new primary across Gombe’s 114 wards. Pantami won with 2,024 votes, but his name still did not appear on INEC’s list. The article therefore shows that winning a rerun does not automatically explain or resolve every question about a nomination’s acceptance.

Political parties select candidates through nomination processes, especially party primaries. The article indicates that these processes must follow party guidelines, party membership requirements and applicable electoral laws. A nomination can therefore be challenged if the process was not properly conducted.

Pantami’s first nomination illustrates the mechanism. Usman Garry said the PDP announced Pantami without holding a valid primary. The Federal High Court agreed that the process had to be repeated and ordered a fresh primary. The PDP then conducted one across all 114 wards in Gombe’s 11 local government areas, where Pantami won 2,024 votes.

The article does not provide a complete step-by-step account of INEC’s verification process. It does show the outcome of that stage: INEC published a final list, but Pantami’s name remained absent despite his rerun victory. This suggests that court orders, party compliance and nomination questions can affect publication before the election.