*Gwarzo remains our candidate, Kano NDC insist

Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published its final list of candidates for the February 6, 2027 governorship elections, with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidates for Gombe and Ogun states, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate in Kano State, missing.
However, INEC cleared the APC governorship candidate in Rivers State, Kingsley Chinda for the 2027 governorship election in the state.

Chinda was number five in the 19-man list of Rivers State governorship candidates released by the electoral commission.
The lists, signed by INEC Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony and published on the INEC website yesterday, showed 16 governorship candidates of other political parties in Gombe State and 13 in Ogun State, and none of them was from the PDP.
The governorship candidates missing were Ali Pantami of PDP in Gombe State, Aminu Gwarzo of NDC in Kano State and Ladi Adebutu of PDP in Ogun State.

However, the Kano State Chairman of NDC, Alhaji Hussaini Mairiga, has insisted that Gwarzo remains the governorship candidate of the party in the state.
INEC did not publicly state the specific reason for dropping the candidates’ names but the decision was believed to be connected to a Supreme Court ruling in the case of INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, which confirmed the continued validity of Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026.

The commission released the list in line with the promise of its Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, who spoke at a press conference in Abuja early last week.

Pantami, who was on the provisional list published on August 29, was missing from the new list.
Pantami had earlier emerged as a PDP candidate after dumping APC on May 19. But Ahmed Mailantarki, one of the aspirants who sought the PDP ticket, challenged his victory in court.

A Federal High Court in Gombe nullified the election and ordered a fresh primary, which he won again.
Pantami won the rerun primary conducted on September 29, defeating Khamisu Mailantarki and Usman Aliyu Garry.
But his biggest obstacle was the September 24 Supreme Court judgment, which restored Sections 77(5), (6), (7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, barring parties from fielding candidates whose names were not in the membership register submitted to INEC within the stipulated time.

While uncertainty trailed his participation in the election, Mohammed Haruna, an INEC National Commissioner, had hinted that in line with the Supreme Court ruling, some parties would not field candidates in 2027.
Under Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, parties have 14 days to notify INEC in writing, with an affidavit, if a nominated candidate’s name is missing.

In Kano State, Gwarzo’s removal from the final list means he cannot contest the governorship election on the NDC platform.
In Ogun State, neither Adebutu nor his running mate, Kolapo-Sowunmi, appeared in the list, raising questions about the status of the PDP’s governorship ticket ahead of the poll.

Speculations have emerged that Adebutu’s name may not have been included in the party register submitted to INEC, as required under the provisions of the Electoral Act.

Hoever, the PDP has urged residents of the state to be calm and rest assured that its governorship candidate, Adebutu’s name would be published by INEC and he will emerge as the Governor of Ogun State in the 2027 general election.

A statement by the publicity Secretary of PDP in Ogun State, Kayode Adebayo urged the public to be informed that the omission of its candidate’s name in the INEC’s list was as a result of the undue pressure mounted by the ruling party on INEC out of fear of losing the election to our party.

“We state emphatically that our candidate, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, who has never left the Peoples Democratic Party at any time duly registered as a member of the party within the designated period of the digital registration with his party membership card printed, verified and submitted to INEC at the stipulated time.

“While we urge the good people of Ogun not to be perturbed nor distracted from our focus of voting out the APC, we remain resolute, unfazed and unwaveringly confident that our candidate is marching straight to a decisive victory in the Ogun 2027 Governorship election.

“No amount of desperate manipulation, political witch-hunts, or calculated distractions can alter the mandate of the people of Ogun State who are overwhelmingly eager for true leadership and positive change.”
Reacting to the omission of his name from the final list of candidates, Pantami, in a statement shared on his personal social media handles, assured his supporters that efforts were underway to resolve the issue, describing the omission as a temporary challenge in the electoral process.

In the statement signed by Professor Suleiman Mohammed Gombe, he said the development has reportedly raised questions among supporters of the PDP and the Pantamiyya Movement across Gombe and beyond.
He urged supporters to remain calm and hopeful, insisting that the omission did not represent a final determination of the matter.

According to the camp, its legal and liaison teams are engaging with relevant organs of the PDP and INEC to ensure compliance with the court order and correct the omission within the period allowed by law.

Gwarzo Remains Our Candidate, Says Kano NDC Chairman

Meanwhile, the Kano State Chairman of NDC, Alhaji Hussaini Mairiga, last night dismissed any notion of a change in the party’s ticket, insisting that the structure of the ticket remained entirely intact as originally planned.
Speaking during a telephone interview, Mairiga insisted that the joint ticket of NDC’s gubernatorial candidate and his running mate, Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso, was duly processed, finalised, and submitted to the electoral body in strict accordance with all established electoral guidelines and statutory deadlines.

“Gwarzo’s name was submitted to INEC, and he and his running mate, Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso, are the authentic flag bearers of the party,” Mairiga stated emphatically, reiterating the party’s unwavering backing for their chosen candidates.
Addressing the discrepancies observed in the newly published list, the chairman attributed the development to administrative friction rather than an official rejection by the commission.

He suggested that human error or a logistical miscommunication within the broader bureaucratic process likely triggered the anomaly.
“I believe there is a mix-up somewhere, and I do not think the list is from the commission, since we are sure that the name we submitted is what stands,” Mairiga added.