INEC reviews 2027 candidate lists, approves Pantami, Gwarzo after party petitions

INEC has revised its 2027 governorship and State Assembly candidate lists after reviewing 130 petitions from political parties, reinstating high-profile candidates including former Communications Minister Isa Ali Pantami (PDP, Gombe) and Abdulsalam Gwarzo (NDC, Kano) while removing others who failed membership register verification.

The commission published final lists on October 10, but parties challenged omissions and inclusions. INEC's review, guided by a September 24 Supreme Court judgment affirming mandatory party membership registers under Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026, resulted in 41 of 69 governorship petitions succeeding across 26 states, and 25 of 61 Assembly petitions succeeding across 11 states.

Ladi Adebutu's (PDP, Ogun) petition was rejected. Candidates wrongly published without party register verification were removed. INEC will publish updated lists on its website.

With 2027 elections approaching, these changes reshape key governorship races. Voters in affected states should verify final candidate lists at inec.gov.ng before campaign season intensifies.

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/10/30/2027-inec-drops-some-candidates-approves-others-after-fresh-review/