The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has clarified that a Federal High Court order, not any decision by the commission, is responsible for the continued absence of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate in Kano State, Abdulsalam Gwarzo, from its updated list of candidates for the 2027 general elections.
On Sunday, November 1, 2026, Daily Trust quoted a senior INEC official as saying that Gwarzo had been cleared by the commission. However, his name could not be included in the published list pending the resolution of an ex parte order issued by a Kano court on October 27.
INEC: No Issue with Gwarzo
"I thought I told you he had been cleared, subject only to the final outcome of an ex parte order by a Federal High Court in Kano on October 27 that we should not download the name of any candidate for NDC. In other words, we have no issue with him," the official said.
The clarification came after checks on Saturday showed that both Gwarzo and his running mate, Rabiu Mustapha, were still missing from INEC's revised governorship candidate list. The commission had marked the NDC's governorship and deputy governorship slots in Kano with the notation "Court Order."
What Led to Confusion
The questions around Gwarzo's candidacy followed INEC's review of petitions over omissions in its initial candidate list, which was published on October 10. After Thursday's review, the commission upheld 66 petitions and dismissed 64 others relating to governorship and State House of Assembly candidates across Nigeria.
One outcome of that review was the inclusion of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for Gombe State, after INEC upheld the petition relating to his name.
Gwarzo's case differs from those resolved through the petition process. INEC's position is that his name was not left out because of any unresolved eligibility issue, but because the court order prevents the commission from publishing the names of NDC candidates in the state.
Court Order the Deciding Factor
The commission's explanation makes clear that the legal restriction will remain in place until the Federal High Court in Kano gives a final ruling on the matter.
Until that happens, the NDC's Kano candidates are unlikely to appear on any official INEC list, regardless of their cleared status with the commission.
