INEC Clears Pantami, Gwarzo for 2027 Elections, Rejects Adebutu

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate in Kano State, Abdulsalam Gwarzo, to contest the 2027 elections, subject to the outcome of pending court cases.

However, the commission rejected a petition by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, seeking a review of his exclusion from the final list of candidates.

A source at INEC, who spoke to Daily Trust after the commission’s meeting on Thursday, disclosed that the electoral body received 69 petitions from political parties over the omission of candidates for governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.

According to the source, about 36 petitions were successful, while the remaining requests were unsuccessful. The commission was, however, awaiting final figures from its legal department ahead of an official statement on the decisions.

“Pantami has been cleared,” the source said, adding that INEC had no objection to his candidacy, although pending litigation could affect the final outcome.

On Gwarzo, the source explained that his clearance remained subject to the court’s final decision on the dispute surrounding his candidacy.

The official said the commission had no objection to either candidate contesting the election, provided the pending legal issues were resolved in their favour.

The source also confirmed that Adebutu’s petition had failed.

The decisions followed complaints from candidates and political parties whose names were missing from INEC’s lists ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Pantami and Gwarzo were among the prominent governorship candidates omitted from the lists published by the commission in October.

INEC had attributed the omissions to alleged non-compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026, which require political parties to submit their membership registers to the commission.

The electoral body said its position was based on a September 24, 2026, Supreme Court judgment affirming the constitutionality of Section 77(5) to (7) of the Electoral Act, which makes the submission of party membership registers mandatory.

Gwarzo had approached the court to challenge the exclusion of himself and his running mate, Rabiu Mustapha, from the list of governorship candidates for Kano State.

In an originating summons dated October 20, 2026, he asked the court to declare their exclusion unlawful and compel INEC to recognise them as the NDC’s governorship candidates.

Pantami’s candidacy has also been the subject of litigation, with the INEC source indicating that a court proceeding was expected on Friday.

Adebutu, meanwhile, had challenged his exclusion from the final list of governorship candidates in Ogun State, maintaining that he remained a registered PDP member and had complied with the party’s membership registration requirements.

INEC is expected to issue a formal statement detailing the outcome of the review of the petitions and the decisions reached by the commission.