INEC Excludes Pantami, Adebutu From Final 2027 Governorship Candidates’ List

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has excluded former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, from the final list of governorship candidates for the February 6, 2027 election in Gombe State, while Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Ladi Adebutu and his running mate are also missing from the list released for Ogun State.

Pantami’s exclusion follows legal disputes over his emergence as the PDP governorship candidate in Gombe, including a court order for a fresh primary election and a Supreme Court judgment on party membership registers and candidate eligibility.

INEC published a final list containing 16 governorship candidates for Gombe State, but Pantami, whose name featured on the commission’s provisional list released on August 29, was absent from the final publication.

Among those listed are Bala Bello Tinka of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Babayo Ardo Kumo of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC).

Other candidates cleared for the Gombe governorship election include Zubairu Mu’azu Halilu of the Labour Party, Lamela L. Silas of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Ibrahim Jalo Abubakar of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Adamu Mohammed Ma’aji of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Pantami, who left the APC on May 19, emerged as the PDP’s governorship candidate but subsequently faced legal challenges over the party’s primary election.

A Federal High Court sitting in Gombe nullified his initial emergence following the PDP primary held on May 26 and ordered the party to conduct a fresh exercise.

Pantami participated in the court-ordered rerun primary held on September 29, where he reportedly polled 2,054 votes to defeat Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki and Usman Aliyu Garry.

However, his inclusion in INEC’s provisional list did not guarantee his appearance on the final list.

The uncertainty surrounding his candidacy also comes against the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s September 24 judgment restoring Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, which concern political party membership and candidate nomination.

The judgment reaffirmed the requirement for political parties to comply with statutory provisions governing membership registers submitted to INEC, including the eligibility of members to participate in party primaries and nomination processes.

In Ogun State, Adebutu and his running mate were similarly absent from INEC’s final list of governorship candidates, raising fresh questions about the status of the PDP’s tickets in the two states ahead of the 2027 elections.

INEC’s final lists have placed the spotlight on the legal and procedural requirements governing candidate nomination as political parties prepare for the 2027 governorship polls.