The most significant omissions are Isa Pantami, the PDP candidate for Gombe State, and Ladi Adebutu, the party’s nominee in Ogun State. Neither Pantami nor Adebutu appears on the final registers, nor does Adebutu’s running mate, Alhaja Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo. The absence of these candidates has led to allegations that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) exerted pressure on INEC to disqualify opposition figures, a claim the electoral body has not publicly confirmed. Pantami’s camp has urged supporters to remain calm, characterizing the development as a temporary challenge rather than a final determination of his political future.
The exclusions follow a recent Supreme Court judgment that restored provisions of the Electoral Act 2026. The ruling restricts participation in party primaries to members whose names appear on membership registers submitted to INEC within the statutory period. This legal development raised questions regarding the validity of several nominations, particularly concerning compliance with party membership requirements and the conduct of primary elections. While it was not immediately clear if the omissions were directly linked to this specific judgment or other procedural issues, the timing has fueled disputes over the integrity of the nomination process.
In Gombe State, Pantami’s exclusion is particularly contentious given the recent procedural history. A Federal High Court in Gombe had previously nullified his initial emergence as the PDP candidate, directing the party to conduct a fresh primary after a suit by challenger Usman Garry argued the original process violated party guidelines. The PDP subsequently held a rerun primary across the state’s 114 wards. Pantami won this contest decisively, securing 2,024 votes against 389 for Khamisu Mailantarki and 112 for Usman Aliyu Garry. Despite this victory in the rerun, his name remains absent from INEC’s final published list for the state.
Conversely, the list includes numerous other high-profile figures, confirming their eligibility to contest. The presidential list features 18 candidates, including President Bola Tinubu of the APC, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress, and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde of the Allied Peoples Movement. In Oyo State, where the PDP was also excluded, the final list comprises 16 candidates, led by Sharafadeen Alli of the APC, who will run with Adesoji Adedeji. Other cleared candidates include Oriyomi Hamzat of the Accord Party and Taofeek Adegoke of the ADC.
The final lists, signed by INEC Secretary Rose Oriaran-Anthony, detail candidates across 26 states. Candidate counts vary by state, with Akwa Ibom and Adamawa recording the highest at 20 and 18 respectively, while Cross River has the fewest with 8. Notable gubernatorial candidates cleared by the commission include Governors Alex Otti (Abia), Umaru Bago (Niger), Caleb Muftwang (Plateau), and Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom). Eight other states—Kogi, Ekiti, Ondo, Imo, Osun, Edo, Bayelsa, and Anambra—will hold off-cycle elections at different times, with their candidate lists not included in this primary release.
The publication of these lists sets the stage for the official campaign period, though legal challenges regarding the omitted candidates are expected to persist in the courts in the coming weeks.
