INEC Clears Pantami, Gwarzo but Rejects Adebutu’s Appeal

October 29, 2026 Quadri Olaitan

The electoral commission says about 36 of 69 petitions over omitted governorship and state assembly candidates were successful, while pending court cases could affect some clearances

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate in Kano State, Abdulsalam Gwarzo, to contest the 2027 general elections, while rejecting an appeal by Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu.

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The decisions followed a marathon meeting of the commission’s management on Thursday, during which it considered petitions submitted by political parties over candidates whose names were omitted from the lists published ahead of the elections.

The commission reportedly received 69 petitions in total, with approximately 36 successful and the remaining submissions unsuccessful, according to an INEC source who spoke after the meeting.

“We received a total of 69 petitions from political parties.

Some of them were successful, I think about 36, and the rest didn’t succeed,” the source said.

However, the source explained that the final figures were still being compiled by INEC’s legal department ahead of an official statement detailing the decisions.

Pantami, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Gombe State, was among those whose names were initially omitted from the published list.

The INEC source confirmed that the commission had cleared him, although the decision remains subject to the outcome of pending legal proceedings.

“Yes, Pantami has been cleared,” the source said.

Gwarzo also received the commission’s approval following his petition over the omission of his name and that of his running mate, Rabiu Mustapha, from the Kano State governorship candidates’ list.

However, INEC cautioned that the court could still make a ruling affecting his candidacy.

“Because of the court case, the court may rule otherwise. So, his approval is subject to whatever the court finally decides,” the source explained.

The official added that the commission had no objection to either candidate contesting the election, pending the resolution of the legal disputes.

Adebutu, however, was unsuccessful in his attempt to secure a review of his exclusion from the Ogun State governorship candidates’ list.

The PDP candidate had challenged the omission, maintaining that he remained a registered member of the party and had complied with its membership registration requirements. INEC’s source confirmed that his petition had been rejected.

“He did not succeed,” the official said.

The disputes followed INEC’s publication of the candidates’ lists, which excluded several politicians nominated by their parties for the 2027 elections.

The commission had linked some of the omissions to alleged non-compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, particularly requirements relating to the submission of political parties’ membership registers.

The electoral body had also cited a September 24, 2026, Supreme Court judgment upholding the constitutionality of relevant provisions of the Act.

With the latest decisions, Pantami and Gwarzo have secured INEC’s administrative approval, although their legal challenges remain significant to the final determination of their eligibility.