Political Parties Protest Omission from INEC's Final Candidate List Ahead of 2027 Elections

Political parties and candidates across Nigeria are raising alarms following the recent release of the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) final list of governorship and state assembly candidates for the upcoming elections scheduled for February 6, 2027. The omissions have sparked widespread discontent, with various parties alleging that the exclusions are mistakes that need urgent rectification.

On Saturday, INEC published the definitive lists of candidates for governorship races in 28 states and state assembly positions in 36 states. This announcement came on the heels of an earlier release concerning candidates for the presidential and national assembly elections set for January 16, 2027. However, many political entities, including the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), and African Democratic Congress (ADC), found their candidates absent from the final roster.

The PDP notably expressed frustration as its gubernatorial candidates in Oyo and Gombe states were not included, while the ADC faced a similar plight in Cross River, and the SDP in Benue. The NDC has specifically pointed to an error as the cause for the omission of its Kano State governorship candidate, Comrade Aminu Abdulsalam Gwarzo, and his running mate, Mustapha Rabiu.

“We are engaging with INEC today to address this discrepancy. Our candidates have the right to participate in the electoral process, and we will explore all legal avenues to ensure their names are restored,” stated a representative from the NDC.

This situation underscores the critical importance of transparency and accuracy in the electoral process as Nigeria approaches a pivotal election cycle. As parties mobilize to contest these omissions, the response from INEC will be closely scrutinized by stakeholders and observers alike.