The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, to contest the 2027 governorship election in Gombe State, while rejecting a petition by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, seeking a review of his exclusion from the candidates’ list.
The decisions followed the commission’s review of complaints submitted by political parties and candidates whose names were missing from the final lists released ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC’s Chairman of Information and Voter Education, Mohammed Haruna, confirmed Pantami’s successful petition in an interview with TheCable on Friday. He explained that the commission found merit in the former minister’s complaint but noted that his candidacy remained subject to the outcome of pending court proceedings.
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INEC Explains Decisions on Pantami and Adebutu
According to Haruna, Pantami’s petition was successful, while Adebutu failed to secure a favourable decision during the review.
The INEC official said the commission had also considered other petitions, including complaints involving candidates in Kano State.
He explained that Adebutu’s request for reconsideration was unsuccessful, leaving his exclusion from the Ogun State governorship candidates’ list unresolved at this stage.
Adebutu, who is seeking the PDP governorship ticket in Ogun State, had challenged his omission and maintained that he remained a registered party member who fulfilled the necessary membership registration requirements.
However, an INEC source told The Punch that Adebutu’s petition was rejected because his name was not included in the list of candidates originally submitted to the commission by the PDP.
INEC Receives 69 Governorship Petitions
In a separate statement, INEC disclosed that it received 69 petitions from 12 political parties across 26 states concerning the final list of governorship candidates.
After reviewing the complaints, the commission approved 41 petitions and rejected 28.
For the State Houses of Assembly elections, INEC received 61 petitions from 11 political parties across 11 states. Of these, 25 were successful, while 36 were rejected.
The commission explained that the complaints involved issues such as the omission of political parties, candidates whose names were allegedly missing from membership registers submitted by their parties, and multiple nominations.
INEC added that it also approved the removal of candidates whose nominations did not satisfy applicable legal requirements.
The commission said the affected candidates, political parties and states would be reflected in an updated list to be published on its website.
Why Were Pantami and Adebutu Initially Excluded?
Pantami and Adebutu were among several prominent politicians whose names were missing from INEC’s final list of candidates published on October 10, 2026.
The commission had previously linked some of the exclusions to alleged failure by political parties to comply with provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, particularly the requirement to submit their membership registers.
INEC’s position followed a September 24, 2026, Supreme Court judgment affirming the constitutionality of Section 77(5) to (7) of the Electoral Act, which makes the submission of party membership registers mandatory.
With Pantami’s petition now successful, the former minister has secured INEC’s clearance for the Gombe governorship race, although the pending court case could still affect the final outcome.
For Adebutu, the rejection of his petition represents another setback in his efforts to secure inclusion on the ballot for the 2027 Ogun State governorship election.
INEC has reiterated its commitment to ensuring that complaints are considered based on relevant records and applicable electoral laws.
