By Reloaded News Desk
Opposition parties affected by the omission of candidates from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) published lists for the 2027 elections say they have submitted the necessary corrections before the October 24 deadline, but some of the affected politicians are still awaiting clarification on their status.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Action Democratic Party (ADP) and Labour Party (LP) have confirmed compliance with the deadline. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) were also among the parties affected by the omissions.
The development follows a Supreme Court judgment that reinforced statutory requirements for political parties to submit their membership registers to INEC. The commission subsequently gave parties that believed their candidates had been wrongly excluded until October 24 to notify it of the alleged omissions.
Among the prominent politicians affected are Oladipupo Adebutu, the PDP’s governorship candidate in Ogun State, and Professor Isa Ali Pantami, the party’s governorship candidate in Gombe State. Seven PDP House of Assembly candidates were also reportedly omitted from the published list.
The PDP’s National Organising Secretary, Captain Umar Bature, confirmed that the party met the deadline.
The NDC also confirmed that it had complied. Its National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, gave an affirmative response when asked whether the party had met INEC’s deadline.
Similarly, ADP National Chairman, Yabagi Yusuf Sani, confirmed that his party had submitted the required corrections.
Labour Party National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa, said the party remained in good standing with INEC regarding the correction of names and replacement of candidates. He expressed confidence in the party’s participation in the forthcoming elections.
Affected candidates await INEC’s decision
In Cross River State, Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo, an ADC figure whose name was reportedly omitted, said she had completed the necessary steps before the deadline but had yet to receive a response from the commission.
“They gave us the deadline of October 24, which was Saturday, and I had done all that they asked for, but they have not brought out any information. Let’s wait for them,” she said.
When contacted, INEC’s Head of Voter Education in Cross River State, Osaro Aisen, said the matter was being handled at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
“The whole thing is handled from Abuja and it is a legal matter. Let’s see what will come forth tomorrow (Monday),” Aisen said, according to the report.
He declined to give a definitive answer on the status of the affected candidates at the time.
John Upan of the NDC was also identified among the candidates whose status remained unclear.
As of the publication of the reports reviewed, there was no confirmed announcement establishing that INEC had reinstated these candidates.
Supreme Court judgment behind the omissions
The dispute stems from a September 24, 2026, Supreme Court judgment in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, Appeal No. SC/CV/495/2026.
In its October 14 explanation, INEC said the judgment required political parties to comply with the membership-register provisions of Section 77(5)–(7) of the Electoral Act 2026. The commission said it applied the ruling when finalising the governorship candidate lists.
The judgment concerned the statutory requirement for parties to submit membership registers and use the relevant registers for their primaries, congresses and conventions.
INEC subsequently invoked Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, which provides a 14-day period for parties to notify the commission when they believe candidates have been wrongly omitted from the published list. It fixed October 24 as the deadline for such notifications.
The affected parties’ submissions now place the focus on INEC’s response and the legal basis for its eventual decisions.
For the candidates involved, the outcome will determine whether their names are restored to the relevant lists. For the parties, it will establish whether their notifications satisfy the commission’s requirements under the law.
Until INEC issues a definitive clarification, the candidates’ claims of compliance must be distinguished from confirmation that their nominations have been accepted.
