INEC clears Pantami, Gwarzo, throws out Adebutu’s request.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, and Abdulsalam Gwarzo to contest the 2027 governorship elections, but rejected a petition seeking the inclusion of former Ogun State governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu.

The decisions followed the commission’s review of petitions submitted by political parties and candidates whose names were missing from the final list of governorship and State House of Assembly candidates released ahead of the 2027 general elections.

An INEC source disclosed to Daily Trust that approximately 36 of the 69 petitions received by the commission were successful, while the remaining submissions were unsuccessful.

Pantami, who is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Gombe State, was among those whose candidacy received the commission’s approval.

Gwarzo, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate in Kano State, also secured INEC’s approval, although the commission indicated that the final outcome would depend on the court’s decision on the dispute surrounding his candidacy.

The commission reportedly maintained that it had no objection to either candidate contesting, provided the outstanding legal issues were resolved.

Adebutu, however, failed to secure a reversal of his exclusion from the list of governorship candidates in Ogun State.

The former PDP governorship candidate had challenged the omission, insisting that he remained a registered member of the party and had fulfilled the requirements for his membership registration.

His petition was among those considered during the commission’s review, but an INEC source confirmed that his request was unsuccessful.

The controversy followed INEC’s decision to exclude several governorship candidates from its final list after citing non-compliance by their political parties with provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 on the submission of membership registers.

The commission had relied on a September 24 Supreme Court judgment affirming the constitutionality of the relevant provisions requiring political parties to submit their membership registers within the stipulated period.

INEC is expected to issue an official statement providing further details of its decisions on the petitions.