The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has received scores of petitions from aggrieved political parties and candidates challenging the omission of their names from the commission’s lists of candidates for the 2027 general elections.
Sources within the commission told Daily Trust that the petitions would be considered at INEC’s next meeting, scheduled for Thursday, October 29.
According to one source, the commission had prepared a preliminary report on the complaints but would only finalise its review after the deadline for submitting petitions expired on Saturday.
“Yesterday (Saturday) was the final day for receiving petitions. Up until that time, we were still receiving petitions,” the source said.
The 14-day window was provided to political parties and other concerned parties to challenge the particulars of candidates published by the commission.
Among those whose candidacies have featured in the complaints are former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Pantami; Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate in Gombe State, Abdulsalam Gwarzo; and Senator Danjuma Laah, whose name was reportedly omitted from the list of candidates in Kaduna State.
Others include the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in Benue State, Sebastine Hon, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu.
The source said the petitions had been directed to INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, for consideration, with relevant departments expected to provide advice on the complaints.
“All the cases. It is what the law says. After publication, they have two weeks to petition, whether they think it will be fair or unfair to them,” the source said.
The source attributed the timing of the planned review partly to Amupitan’s ongoing zonal tour ahead of the elections. The chairman was expected to visit Gombe State before returning to Abuja on Wednesday, ahead of the commission’s proposed meeting the following day.
However, INEC had not officially confirmed the number of petitions received or the date on which they would be considered as of the time of the report.
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The commission’s Deputy Director of Publicity, Wilfred Osilama Ifogah, could not be reached through his direct telephone line and did not respond to a WhatsApp message sent to him.
Similarly, the Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, said she had only recently resumed official duties and could not provide details about the petitions.
Some political parties affected by the omissions have confirmed submitting complaints to the commission.
The PDP in Gombe State said it was awaiting INEC’s response to its complaint over the omission of Pantami’s name from the list of governorship candidates.
The party’s Public Relations Officer in the state, Abdulkadir Ahmed Dukku, told Daily Trust that the party had not filed a fresh petition because it was still expecting the commission to address its earlier complaint.
Dukku expressed hope that INEC would upload Pantami’s name to the list, adding that the party would decide its next course of action based on the commission’s response.
In Benue State, SDP Chairman Idoko Itodo said the party had taken the necessary steps to challenge the omission of its governorship candidate, Sebastine Hon, from INEC’s final list.
Itodo said Hon’s name had appeared on an earlier list published by the commission and expressed optimism that the omission was an error that would be corrected.
“We have written to INEC. We have done the needful,” he said.
Meanwhile, PDP Chairman in Nasarawa State, Joel Daniel Gimba, confirmed that the party had petitioned INEC over the omission of Esson Mairiga, who represents Lafia North in the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, from its final list of candidates.
Gimba described the omission as an error, arguing that a Certified True Copy of the relevant document obtained from INEC on September 20 contained Mairiga’s name.
The planned review is expected to determine the commission’s response to the complaints as political parties and candidates seek clarification over omissions from the lists ahead of the 2027 general elections.