Political parties across Nigeria have raised concerns over omissions and discrepancies in the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections.
Several parties have questioned the exclusion of their nominees, citing possible administrative errors, nomination disputes, eligibility issues and pending court cases.
Among the affected politicians are former Communications Minister Isa Pantami, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) governorship candidate in Gombe State, and Oladipupo Adebutu, the party’s candidate in Ogun State.
Other reported cases involve candidates from the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Action Alliance (AA).
The Action Alliance has threatened legal action over candidates it claims were wrongly excluded, while the ADC in Jigawa State has protested the omission of its deputy governorship candidate, Aminu Ringim, alongside several other nominees.
The PDP has also said it is engaging INEC to resolve issues affecting its candidates in Ogun and Gombe states. Meanwhile, affected politicians and party officials are exploring available legal options to address the discrepancies.
However, some exclusions have been linked to eligibility requirements. In Kwara State, African Action Congress candidate Duwatsu Musa was reportedly excluded because he had not attained the constitutional minimum age of 35 required to contest a governorship election.
The growing disputes have placed INEC’s candidate list under scrutiny, with affected parties seeking clarification and redress ahead of the 2027 general elections.
