The Independence National Electoral Commission, INEC, has excluded the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidates in Ogun and Gombe states from its final roster for the February 2027 elections, leaving the opposition party without a listed standard-bearer in both states and deepening uncertainty over its tickets.
INEC published final candidate lists Saturday that omit Ladi Adebutu, the PDP’s candidate in Ogun, and Isa Ali Pantami, who emerged as the party’s Gombe candidate after a fresh primary.
Neither list includes a PDP governorship candidate or running mate.
The Ogun list contains 13 governorship candidates, but Adebutu and his running mate do not appear.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket is led by Solomon Adeola, with Kudirat Balogun listed as his running mate.
The commission’s documents do not state why the PDP candidates were excluded.
Their absence comes despite Adebutu having previously been recognized as the party’s Ogun governorship candidate.
In Gombe, INEC listed 16 candidates, with Jamil Gwamna as the APC candidate and Balah Adams as his running mate.
Pantami, a former minister of communications and digital economy, is absent despite appearing on the provisional list published on August 29.
Pantami became the PDP candidate through a fresh primary after a court voided his earlier nomination.
The final list offers no explanation for his removal, though reporting has linked the omissions to a Supreme Court ruling concerning party membership.
INEC also uploaded a final list for Rivers State, where Kingsley Chinda is named as the APC candidate, Lulu-Briggs Dumo as the NDC candidate and Ejekwu Samuel as the PDP candidate.
The lists identify each candidate’s party, running mate, age, gender, qualifications and, where applicable, remarks.
The publication sets the stage for legal and political challenges as parties seek clarity on eligibility ahead of the February 6 vote.
