INEC Clears Pantami, Gwarzo For 2027 Polls, Rejects Adebutu’s Petition

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate in Kano State, Abdulsalam Gwarzo, to contest the 2027 elections.

The decision was reached on Thursday following a closed-door meeting led by the INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, to review petitions from political parties concerning omitted candidates for governorship and state assembly elections.

However, the electoral commission rejected a petition submitted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, who sought a review of his exclusion from the candidates list.

INEC had on October 10 released a list of cleared candidates but omitted several names due to non-compliance with statutory requirements, particularly the submission of party membership registers.
The commission subsequently gave a 14-day window for affected candidates to submit petitions.

Dawn Herald gathered from reports that the commission received 69 petitions from various political parties, with 36 being successful and that Pantami and Gwarzo have been cleared to contest, though their final eligibility remains subject to ongoing litigations challenging their candidacies.

The spokesperson to the Kano NDC governorship candidate, Ibrahim Garba Shuaibu, stated that the omission had strengthened the party’s popularity rather than weakening its prospects.

“What the electoral commission intended as a setback has actually worked in our favour. It has increased our supporters, strengthened our popularity and made more people identify with us,” Shuaibu stated.

The Spokesman of the Pantamiya Movement, Barrister Ibrahim Attahir, expressed confidence in the judiciary, stressing that the group always believed the rule of law would prevail.

Meanwhile, a PDP governorship aspirant in Gombe State, Usman Aliyu Garry, has vowed to continue challenging Pantami’s candidacy in court. Garry raised concerns about the criteria used by INEC and demanded an explanation for clearing Pantami despite the unresolved legal dispute over the party’s governorship ticket.

In Ogun State, the PDP senatorial candidate for Ogun Central, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, accused political opponents of desperation, suggesting the exclusion of Adebutu was a deliberate attempt to eliminate competition.

INEC is expected to issue a formal statement detailing the full outcome of the review.