The political ambitions of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, and former Ogun State governorship candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu, remain plunged into deep uncertainty following the expiration of the deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to address candidate omission complaints.
​The 14-day statutory window granted by the electoral body under Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, officially closed at 11:59 PM on Saturday, October 24, 2026.
The deadline was established to allow political parties to formally notify the commission of any erroneous exclusions or omissions from the final candidates’ list published ahead of the February 6, 2027 governorship elections.
​Speaking from the INEC National Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, alongside National Commissioner Mohammed Kudu Haruna, clarified that the commission strictly applied standard statutory compliance guidelines. Electoral officials emphasized that political parties were required to submit their digital party membership registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026.
Parties that failed to satisfy this statutory requirement were deemed ineligible to sponsor candidates, in accordance with Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution and recent Supreme Court precedents.
​The impact of the commission’s strict enforcement has resonated across several key states, leaving high-profile contenders struggling to salvage their campaigns.
​In Gombe State, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami found his name omitted from the final governorship roster. Responding through a legal team headed by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Pantami’s spokesperson confirmed that formal petitions had already been served on INEC, giving the electoral body a 72-hour ultimatum to rectify what his camp characterised as an illegal exclusion.
Pantami’s legal representatives reaffirmed their resolve to pursue all judicial avenues until his candidacy is restored.
​A similar crisis has unfolded in Ogun State, where Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu was excluded from the official roster. A spokesperson for the PDP declared that the party insists on strict constitutional compliance, warning that failure by INEC to rectify the omission would prompt immediate high-court litigation.
Meanwhile, in Kano State, governorship aspirant Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo and key party stakeholders continue to demand full clarification from the commission regarding its register compliance determinations.
​With the October 24 deadline now passed without resolution for the affected politicians, all eyes turn to the INEC headquarters and the law courts to determine whether these key contenders can secure judicial relief before official campaigning commences across the states.
