The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially published the final list of candidates for the forthcoming February 6, 2027, governorship and state assembly elections. However, the publication has triggered widespread political tension and dashed high-profile ambitions, as key candidates and prominent political parties were conspicuously omitted across several strategic states.
The official documents, signed by INEC Secretary Rose Oriaran-Anthony and uploaded to the commission’s portal on Saturday, detail cleared candidates, political parties, running mates, qualifications, and ages. The release follows weeks of heightened anxiety among party leaders and supporters following strict compliance enforcement under Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026, which mandates the timely submission of authentic party membership registers prior to primary elections.
In Ogun State, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) suffered a major blow as its candidate, Hon. Ladi Adebutu, alongside his running mate, was excluded from the 13-candidate final list. Adebutu’s omission stems from ongoing controversies surrounding his name’s absence from the PDP membership register submitted to the electoral umpire. While the Ogun PDP leadership maintained that statutory compliance requirements were fully met, the publication leaves the field open for the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Senator Solomon Adeola, and candidates of 12 other cleared political parties.
A similar political crisis unfolded in Gombe State, where former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, was left off the 16-candidate list published by the commission. Pantami’s omission follows intense legal disputes and court judgments that nullified the primary election process in the state. Responding to the development, Pantami described the missing candidacy as a temporary challenge, even as the PDP found itself completely without a governorship candidate on the published Gombe list, where Jamil Gwamna was cleared for the APC.
In Kano State, the New Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) suffered a major setback after its governorship candidate, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, was dropped from the commission’s official roster following unresolved nomination conflicts. INEC cleared 17 candidates from other political parties in Kano, including the APC, PDP, and African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The publication also recorded notable omissions in Bauchi State, where INEC published a list of 15 governorship candidates while excluding four political parties, including the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
Meanwhile, the candidate list for Rivers State cleared any lingering uncertainty as INEC officially verified Hon. Kingsley Chinda as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate. Chinda features alongside 18 other cleared contenders, including Gabriel Pidomson of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dumo Lulu-Briggs of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and Samuel Soni Ejekwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Across other states, the final list confirmed prominent contenders, including former Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Adamu, who made the ballot as the SDP governorship candidate in Nasarawa State. In Benue State, Governor Hyacinth Alia and legal practitioner Mike Aondoakaa were successfully listed.
With the release of the final candidate lists, the statutory period for candidate substitutions, replacements, and internal party realignments has officially closed. Affected politicians and political parties now face narrow windows at the appellate courts to salvage their candidacies before official campaign activities reach full gear for the 2027 general elections.
