INEC bars Pantami, Adebutu from 2027 governorship race over missing registers

INEC has barred PDP governorship candidates Isa Pantami of Gombe State and Ladi Adebutu of Ogun State from the 2027 election list after their parties failed to submit mandatory membership registers by the April 21-May 10, 2026 deadline. The exclusion follows a Supreme Court ruling on September 24, 2026 (INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026) that upheld Sections 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act 2026, which require parties to submit registers within the prescribed period. INEC said it applied the court's decision when compiling the final candidate list, citing Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution.

The move affects two prominent PDP aspirants—Pantami, who won a court-ordered PDP primary rerun in Gombe, and Adebutu, whose running mate was also omitted. The Ogun PDP has accused the ruling APC of exerting undue influence on INEC, while human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong urged the commission to preserve its neutrality. Parties claiming improper exclusion have 14 days from the publication of the final list to lodge complaints; INEC has set October 24, 2026 as the deadline for such notifications under Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act.

Voters in Gombe and Ogun should expect alternative candidates on the ballot, and anyone backing Pantami or Adebutu may need to consider other options or engage with their parties' appeal processes. INEC reiterated its commitment to transparency, the rule of law and electoral integrity.

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/10/14/2027-why-we-disqualified-pantami-adebutu-gwarzo-inec/