The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is reviewing complaints from political parties and governorship candidates whose names were omitted from its final list, with no date yet fixed for the publication of an updated version.
The affected candidates include Oladipupo Adebutu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Isa Ali Pantami of the PDP in Gombe State, and Aminu Gwarzo of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kano State.
The candidates are awaiting the commission’s decision on their appeals to determine whether they will participate in the 2027 governorship elections.
The development followed the Supreme Court’s September 24 judgment, which upheld the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
INEC had given affected candidates until October 24 to submit their objections through their political parties for consideration.
INEC Yet to Announce Date for Updated List
INEC’s Director of Information and Voter Education, Victoria Eta-Mesi, said the commission was implementing corrections submitted by political parties and candidates, alongside relevant court orders.
Speaking to The Nation, Eta-Mesi said the updated list would be published once the necessary corrections had been completed.
“All corrections submitted by other parties and candidates, together with court orders, are being effected and will be published once ready,” she said.
She added that the commission had not fixed a date for the publication of the revised list.
A senior source within INEC also confirmed that the commission was reviewing complaints from candidates and political parties.
According to the source, each submission would be assessed on its merits and in accordance with the Electoral Act and the Constitution.
“The commission received complaints and will review them according to their merit and in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the Constitution,” the source said.
The source added that candidates who satisfied the legal requirements would be included, while those whose cases failed the applicable legal tests would remain excluded.
The commission is also monitoring ongoing court cases involving some political parties and candidates. The source said INEC would review its position and comply with relevant court judgments when delivered.
Parties Protest Omission of Governorship Candidates
The review followed complaints from political parties and candidates whose names were missing from INEC’s lists for governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections.
The omissions sparked protests from affected parties and candidates, who sought the commission’s intervention.
The controversy arose after INEC published candidate lists following the Supreme Court’s judgment on Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026.
While the National Assembly election list contained the names of some candidates whose eligibility had been questioned under the law, some candidates were excluded from the governorship and state Houses of Assembly lists.
The differences between the published lists triggered further complaints and demands for clarification from the electoral commission.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) also wrote to INEC, urging the commission to implement the Supreme Court’s judgment.
INEC has maintained that submissions from political parties and candidates, together with relevant court orders, are being processed before the updated lists are published.
The outcome of the review is expected to determine which of the affected candidates will be included in the final lists, subject to applicable legal requirements and court decisions.
Olawepo-Hashim’s Name Yet to Appear on INEC Website
Meanwhile, the name of Olawepo-Hashim had yet to appear on INEC’s website as Accord’s presidential candidate as of the time of reporting.
The development came despite an earlier statement by INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, that the commission would respect the relevant judgment and include Olawepo-Hashim as the 19th presidential candidate for the January 16 election.
The reason for the delay in uploading his name remained unclear.
However, information gathered by The Nation indicated that the delay might be connected to an appeal filed by Accord.
The party’s National Chairman, Maxwell Mgbudem, confirmed that Accord had appealed the judgment but declined to provide further details about the appeal.
The commission’s handling of the matter remains significant as political parties and candidates await clarity on the final list of eligible contenders.
For the affected governorship candidates, INEC’s pending decision will determine whether their names will be restored to the relevant lists ahead of the 2027 elections.