The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has taken a last place on the destiny of candidates aspiring to contest the governorship elections of their respective states affirming that these excluded from the checklist the fee launched on Saturday remain excluded.
Daily Trust studies that within the checklist launched by INEC on October 10, frontline contenders like Isa Ali Pantami who was cleared by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State and Ladi Adebutu of the PDP in Ogun State have been excluded.
Others not captured within the checklist embrace Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kano, and his counterpart in Kaduna State Danjuma Laah.
Our correspondents report that INEC additionally excluded governorship candidates of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Action Alliance (AA) and Accord Party (AP) in Bauchi State. Abdullahi Yakubu; Musa Zubairu; Ahmed Shuaibu and Mohammed Aminu.
INEC defined after a gathering of its high officers in Abuja which lasted a number of hours that the candidates have been excluded as a result of their political events didn’t submit membership registers as required by legislation.
The fee mentioned the exclusion adopted a September 24, 2026, Supreme Court judgement affirming the constitutionality of Section 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which makes the submission of membership registers obligatory for political events.
In a press assertion issued on Tuesday, signed by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, mentioned the Supreme Court, in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026, upheld the provisions requiring events to submit their membership registers earlier than conducting legitimate primaries.
The judgement overturned an earlier Court of Appeal determination that had nullified the provisions.
INEC said that the apex court docket additionally upheld Item 2 of its timetable for the 2027 elections, which required political events to submit their membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026, stressing that the Supreme Court additional dominated that events that didn’t adjust to the requirement can be ineligible to sponsor candidates within the elections.
The fee defined that it utilized the judgement whereas finalising the governorship candidates’ checklist in compliance with Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which requires authorities to provide impact to selections of superior courts.
It added that the ultimate lists of presidential and National Assembly candidates had already been revealed on September 12, 2026, 13 days earlier than the Supreme Court delivered its judgement.
INEC mentioned political events that believed their candidates had been wrongly omitted might notify the fee in accordance with Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
It mentioned the deadline for such notifications was October 24, 2026.
The fee reaffirmed its dedication to transparency, the rule of legislation and the credibility of the electoral course of.
Reactions after the checklist was launched
Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, had on Monday, issued a 3 days ultimatum to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), over what he described as illegal omission of his title from the ultimate checklist of candidates for the 2027 governorship election in Gombe State.
In a letter dated October 12, 2026, and addressed to the INEC Chairman, Pantami’s attorneys, Ahmed Raji & Co., demanded that the fee publishes his title because the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) inside three days.
The Kwankwasiyya Movement additionally urged its members and supporters to remain calm saying the matter may very well be resolved via obtainable administrative and authorized channels, urging the NDC to behave swiftly to guard the candidates’ pursuits.
In a press release issued on Sunday, the motion’s spokesperson, Dr Habibu Sale Mohammed, mentioned the event had generated concern amongst supporters however cautioned towards hypothesis and the circulation of unverified info.
Adebutu on his half defined that the circumstances surrounding his exclusion from the ultimate checklist of governorship candidates launched by INEC raised “serious questions” as all the opposite social gathering’s candidates throughout the House of Assembly, House of Representatives and senatorial positions had appeared on the revealed lists, besides him and his operating mate, Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo.
“We will pursue this matter through the appropriate channels and insist that due process is respected,” Adebutu declared in a press release he posted on X and Facebook on Sunday morning.
INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan had final week Tuesday confirmed that the fee had acquired the licensed true copy of the Supreme Court judgement and that it’s being reviewed.
Yesterday’s assembly with high officers of the fee to our correspondents learnt represents thew last determination of the fee as regards the cleared candidates for the 2027 elections.
There have been debates as as to whether INEC has the facility to disqualify candidates by itself primarily based on the Supreme court docket judgement.
Background to the disaster
Daily Trust studies that the entire matter began when Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) had approached a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, difficult provisions of the Electoral Act which it contended have been inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution.
At the trial court docket, the ZLP argued that the provisions conflicted with the 1999 Constitution and amounted to unconstitutional interference within the inner affairs of political events.
The social gathering’s case was anchored, amongst others, on Sections 221 and 222 of the Constitution, which give for the constitutional framework governing political events.
he Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Mohammed Umar, in a judgment delivered on May 5, 2026 dismissed the social gathering’s motion.
Dissatisfied with the judgement, the ZLP approached the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division in attraction marked: CA/ABJ/CV/750/2026.
The Court of Appeal, in its judgment delivered on July 16, 2026, allowed the attraction partially and voided provisions of the Electoral Act regarding social gathering primaries and membership registers.
The appellate court docket’s determination prompted INEC to strategy the Supreme Court, in line with the fee’s temporary of argument filed within the attraction filed on the Supreme Court.
After the listening to of the attraction and arguments from each events final week, a seven-man panel of the apex court docket, presided over by Justice Adamu Jauro, reserved its judgement.
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