The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has omitted Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship hopefuls Isa Pantami and Ladi Adebutu from its final lists of candidates for the 2027 elections in Gombe and Ogun states, respectively, while listing Kingsley Chinda as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Rivers State.
The commission published the candidate lists on Saturday, October 10, ahead of the 2027 general elections. However, the documents did not state why Pantami and Adebutu, alongside their running mates, were missing.
Pantami, a former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, recently emerged as the PDP governorship candidate in Gombe following a fresh primary election conducted after an earlier nomination process was challenged in court.
The final list released by INEC contains 16 candidates for the Gombe governorship election but does not include Pantami or a PDP candidate. His omission has raised questions about the status of the party’s ticket in the state.
In Ogun State, Adebutu, who had been the PDP’s governorship candidate, is also absent from the commission’s list, which contains 13 candidates. His running mate is equally missing from the published document.
The omissions come weeks after the Supreme Court restored key provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 governing political party membership registers and the nomination of candidates for elections.
In its September 24 judgment, the apex court restored Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2), which set requirements relating to party membership records and participation in nomination processes. Under Section 77(5), party members must be included in the membership register submitted to INEC at least 21 days before a primary, congress or convention to participate in the relevant exercise.
The ruling has triggered fresh scrutiny of candidates whose eligibility could be challenged over the timing of their registration with political parties or compliance with nomination requirements.
However, the Supreme Court judgment does not automatically disqualify every politician who defected between parties. The legal implications depend on the relevant membership records, nomination process and circumstances of each case. INEC has not publicly stated that the judgment was the specific reason for excluding Pantami and Adebutu from the lists.
Meanwhile, Chinda, a former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives and an ally of Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, appears on the published list as the APC governorship candidate in Rivers State.
Chinda was previously a member of the PDP before defecting to the APC ahead of the party’s governorship primaries, according to reports on the development. His inclusion has drawn attention because of the legal questions surrounding membership registration and eligibility following the Supreme Court judgment.
The publication of the lists has therefore left questions about the PDP’s governorship tickets in Gombe and Ogun, while drawing renewed attention to how INEC and political parties will apply the restored provisions of the Electoral Act ahead of the 2027 elections.
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