The Independent National Electoral Commission has published its final list of candidates for the February 2027 governorship and State House of Assembly elections, featuring incumbent officeholders seeking re-election alongside other contenders.
However, the list does not include Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship hopeful, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, and his running mate, while Gombe State PDP candidate, Isa Ali Pantami, is also absent.
The document, signed by INEC Secretary Rose Oriaran-Anthony and made available on the commission’s website over the weekend, shows that Adebutu and his running mate were not listed for the February 6, 2027 governorship election in Ogun State. Pantami’s name was similarly missing from the candidates published for Gombe State, raising questions about the circumstances surrounding the exclusion of the two opposition figures.
Although INEC did not provide a specific explanation for their absence in the published document, Pantami’s omission comes against the backdrop of an ongoing legal dispute concerning his emergence as the PDP governorship candidate. The dispute centres on the procedure through which the party selected him to represent it in the forthcoming election.
On September 24, a Federal High Court sitting in Gombe nullified Pantami’s initial emergence as the party’s candidate and directed the PDP to organise a fresh primary within 30 days. The court’s decision followed its finding that the earlier exercise failed to comply with the party’s internal procedures and relevant electoral laws.
Adebutu’s exclusion, meanwhile, is reportedly linked to concerns about his membership status within the PDP, particularly allegations that his name was absent from the party’s membership register submitted to INEC. The issue has generated questions about his eligibility to contest the governorship election under the party’s platform.
Amid objections raised by some stakeholders over the alleged omission of his name from the membership register, the commission appears to have left Adebutu out of the published list. However, the precise circumstances surrounding the decision remain unclear, as INEC has not publicly stated the specific reason for his exclusion.
The published document also indicates that the number of political parties contesting the governorship elections differs from one state to another. While some states have as few as 13 parties presenting candidates, the number rises to 18 in others, reflecting variations in party participation across the affected states.
In Abia State, the list features candidates from 15 political parties, including the incumbent governor, Alex Otti. Other parties represented include the African Action Congress (AAC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Democratic Party (ADP), All Progressives Congress (APC), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Action Peoples Party (APP), Labour Party (LP), National Democratic Congress (NDC), National Democratic Party (NDP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), National Rescue Movement (NRM), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
In Adamawa State, the APC candidate, Aminu Galadima, is listed among the contenders for the governorship seat and is expected to face candidates from 17 other political parties. Borno State, on the other hand, has 13 political parties participating in the contest, according to the published list.
For Ogun State, the candidates included in the list are Okewole Shuaib Olaniyi of the Accord Party; Awofala Awolola Awoniyi of the Action Alliance (AA); Lawal Jimi Adebisi of the African Democratic Congress (ADC); Anifowose John Kayode of the Action Democratic Party (ADP); and Adeola Solomon Olamilekan of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Other candidates named for the Ogun governorship election are Babajide Rotimi Mathew of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM); Layi Labode Halima of the Action Peoples Party (APP); Adenuga Adekunle Dreher of the Boot Party (BP); Dasaolu Oluwaseyi Olamilekan of the National Democratic Party (NDP); and Akinbola Hammed Rotham of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
The remaining candidates on the list are Fayoyin Olujobi Ezekiel of the National Rescue Movement (NRM); Ola Willams Adeyinka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP); and Johnson Cyrus Oluwaseun of the Young Progressives Party (YPP). Adebutu and his running mate, however, are not included among the Ogun State candidates published by the commission.
Under INEC’s regulations, political parties have 14 days from the date the candidates’ list is published to formally notify the commission of any missing names. Such complaints must be submitted in writing and accompanied by an affidavit sworn to by the party’s national chairman and secretary.
Reacting to reports of Adebutu’s exclusion, the Ijebu East PDP ICT, Media and Publicity Committee dismissed the development as untrue, describing the claims as unfounded and politically motivated. The committee maintained that reports suggesting the PDP candidate and his running mate had been left off INEC’s final list were intended to mislead the public.
“We wish to inform the general public, our teeming supporters, party leaders, and the good people of Ogun State that this report is totally false, baseless, and a deliberate propaganda sponsored by jittery opposition who are already afraid of the overwhelming popularity and acceptance of Hon. Ladi Adebutu ahead of 2027.
“What INEC displayed recently at its state office is NOT the final list. It is a routine preliminary list for public display, claims and objections as stipulated by the Electoral Act 2022. This is a standard administrative procedure that allows parties to correct any typographical errors or omissions.
“Every stakeholder in the political space knows that INEC does not release its final list in this manner. The Commission has its own official timetable,” the committee stated.
