INEC says PDP candidates Ladi Adebutu and Isa Pantami were excluded from the 2027 governorship list over membership register requirements, setting October 24 as the deadline for complaints
INEC Breaks Silence on Adebutu, Pantami Exclusion, Sets October 24 Deadline
By Newsheadline247
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained why it excluded Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidates Ladi Adebutu and Isa Pantami from the final list for the 2027 governorship elections, citing alleged non-compliance by their respective parties with statutory requirements for submitting membership registers.
The clarification comes amid controversy over the absence of the two politicians from the candidates’ lists for Ogun and Gombe states, raising questions about the PDP’s participation in the governorship contests in both states.
Pantami was omitted despite emerging as the PDP’s candidate in a court-ordered rerun of the party’s governorship primary in Gombe, while Adebutu and his running mate were also missing from INEC’s final list for Ogun State.
The Ogun PDP had accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of exerting undue influence on the electoral commission, while human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong called on INEC to demonstrate its independence and impartiality.
However, in a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, INEC said the exclusions followed the Supreme Court’s judgment delivered on September 24, 2026, in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026.
According to the commission, the apex court upheld the constitutionality of Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which prescribe requirements for political parties to submit their membership registers within the stipulated period.
INEC said the Supreme Court also upheld its timetable requiring parties to submit their registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026, adding that parties that failed to meet the requirements were ineligible to sponsor candidates in the elections.
The commission said it applied the judgment when compiling the final list of governorship candidates, in compliance with Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which requires the enforcement of judicial decisions.
INEC further explained 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.
The commission also drew attention to Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which gives political parties 14 days from the publication of the candidates’ list to notify INEC if they believe their candidates were wrongly excluded.
INEC fixed October 24, 2026, as the deadline for submitting such notifications, providing an avenue for affected political parties to formally challenge the omissions.
The commission reiterated its commitment to transparency, the rule of law and the credibility of the electoral process as preparations continue for the 2027 general elections.
The development leaves the affected parties facing a critical deadline to pursue their complaints through the procedures provided by law, with the outcome potentially shaping their participation in the governorship elections in Ogun and Gombe states.
