Nigeria: Guber List Row - PDP, NDC Fault INEC for Omitting Gwarzo, Pantami, Adebutu

What the report says

The Peoples Democratic Party and the Nigeria Democratic Congress have questioned the Independent National Electoral Commission over the absence of some governorship candidates from its final candidate list for the 2027 elections. The dispute centers on Ladi Adebutu in Ogun State, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami in Gombe State and Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo in Kano State, along with reported omissions of their running mates. The list was published by INEC in Abuja, and the issue has prompted protests and calls for clarification.

According to the report published by Leadership and carried by AllAfrica, the NDC said it was reviewing the omission of Gwarzo and his deputy and would consider legal action to secure their inclusion. Party officials in Kano described the problem as a technical mistake and said they expected it to be fixed. INEC’s Kano office said it had forwarded the names it received to headquarters, while its Oyo office said the commission published what the parties submitted.

The PDP said it was in talks with INEC over the missing names of Adebutu and Pantami and urged supporters to stay calm. Adebutu said he would challenge the omission and suggested political pressure may have played a role, though that claim was not independently verified in the article. The report also noted wider concern about how parties complied with electoral rules, including membership-register requirements under the Electoral Act 2026.