2027 Elections: INEC Cites Supreme Court Ruling Over Pantami, Adebutu’s Omission

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained the exclusion of former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Pantami, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Oladipupo Adebutu, and other candidates from the final list for the 2027 governorship elections.

The commission attributed the omissions to political parties’ failure to comply with provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 governing the submission of membership registers ahead of party primaries.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, explained in a statement on Tuesday that the decision followed a Supreme Court judgment delivered on September 24, 2026, in the case of INEC v. Zenith Labour Party.

According to Haruna, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of Section 77(5)–(7) of the Electoral Act 2026, making compliance with the provisions mandatory for all political parties.

The provisions require political parties to submit their membership registers to INEC between April 21 and May 10, 2026. The court also ruled that parties that fail to meet the stipulated requirements are ineligible to sponsor candidates in the election.

Haruna said INEC applied the Supreme Court’s decision while finalising the list of governorship candidates, excluding parties that failed to comply with the relevant provisions of the law.

The commission noted that the final lists of presidential and National Assembly candidates had already been published on September 12, 2026, before the Supreme Court delivered its judgment on September 24.

INEC further stated that political parties that believe their candidates were wrongly excluded have the opportunity to notify the commission in line with Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act 2026.

According to the commission, the deadline for submitting such notifications is October 24, 2026, giving affected political parties a limited period to challenge the omissions.

The exclusion of Pantami, Adebutu and other candidates has generated reactions within the political space, raising questions about compliance with electoral regulations ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to Bush Radio Academy, INEC’s explanation underscores the importance of political parties complying with statutory requirements, as failure to meet electoral deadlines could affect their eligibility to field candidates in the forthcoming elections.