The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has attributed the exclusion of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirants Isa Pantami and Ladi Adebutu from the 2027 election lists to their party’s failure to meet statutory requirements for submitting membership registers.
Pantami, who won a court-ordered rerun of the PDP primary in Gombe State, was omitted alongside Adebutu and his running mate in Ogun State. The Ogun PDP accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of political interference, while human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong urged INEC to uphold its neutrality.
In a statement on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, cited the Supreme Court’s September 24 judgment in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026.
The ruling overturned a July Court of Appeal decision that invalidated provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026, on party membership registers. The Supreme Court upheld Sections 77(5)–(7) and INEC’s deadline requiring parties to submit their registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.
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INEC said parties that failed to comply were ineligible to sponsor candidates, adding that its decision followed Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which mandates compliance with court judgments.
The commission noted that the presidential and National Assembly candidates’ lists were published on September 12, 2026, 13 days before the Supreme Court ruling.
Under Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, parties have 14 days after publication to challenge alleged wrongful exclusions. INEC set October 24, 2026, as the deadline for such notifications.
The commission reaffirmed its commitment to the rule of law, transparency and electoral integrity.