The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) published its final list of candidates for Nigeria's 2027 general elections on Saturday, covering presidential, governorship, and National Assembly races. The list names 18 presidential candidates, including President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). However, the absence of several opposition figures has triggered accusations and calls for calm from affected camps.
Notable Absences: Pantami and Adebutu Left Off the List
Among the most notable omissions are Isa Pantami, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Gombe State, and Ladi Adebutu, the PDP candidate in Ogun State. Adebutu's running mate, Alhaja Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo, is also missing from the list. The publication follows a period of legal and political turmoil for both candidates.
Pantami's situation is particularly complex. A Federal High Court in Gombe had nullified his original emergence as the PDP candidate after Usman Garry argued that the party announced him on June 26, 2026, without conducting a valid primary. Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed ordered a fresh primary, which the PDP subsequently held across 114 wards in Gombe's 11 local government areas. Pantami won that rerun with 2,024 votes, well clear of his rivals, yet neither his name nor the PDP's appeared among the published governorship candidates for the state.
The spokesperson for the Pantamiyya Movement, Professor Suleiman Mohammed, asked supporters not to panic. In a statement on Pantami's Facebook account, he described the development as "a temporary challenge and a normal part of the electoral process, not a final determination, in sha Allah," without specifying what steps the camp plans to take next.
Ogun PDP Accuses APC of Pressure on INEC
In Ogun State, the PDP went further, directly accusing the ruling APC of leaning on INEC to keep Adebutu off the list. State Publicity Secretary Kayode Adebayo said in a statement that the party was confident Adebutu's name would eventually appear, insisting he had followed all membership and nomination requirements. "The public should be informed that the omission of our candidate's name in INEC's list is as a result of the undue pressure mounted by the ruling party on INEC out of fear of losing the election," the statement read.
The list also includes other presidential candidates such as Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, who is listed under the Allied Peoples Movement. Governorship candidates are listed across 26 states, from Lagos and Kano to Rivers and Zamfara, giving a clearer picture of the field ahead of the 2027 polls.
Supreme Court Ruling Adds to Scrutiny
The publication also follows a September 24, 2026 Supreme Court judgment in which a seven-member panel led by Justice Adamu Jauro restored key sections of the Electoral Act 2026. The ruling requires parties to use membership registers submitted to INEC at least 21 days before their primaries, raising questions about candidates who recently switched parties.
Despite that scrutiny, APC Rivers governorship candidate Kingsley Chinda, former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege of the NDC, and former Delta State Speaker Victor Ochei of the NDC all made the published list. The INEC chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, faces fresh questions after the Supreme Court's ruling ahead of the 2027 elections.
Previous Calls for INEC Chairman's Removal
Earlier, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) called for the immediate sack of the INEC chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan. The executive director of the Islamic group, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, posited that Amupitan cannot be trusted. Similarly, the Supreme Council for Shari'ah in Nigeria (SCSN) urged President Tinubu to review Amupitan's appointment.
As the 2027 election cycle progresses, the affected camps have yet to announce their next legal or political steps, while INEC's final list stands as the official reference for the races ahead.
