‘Don’t Waste Money, Time Fighting a Lost Battle’ – Shehu Sani Tells Excluded Candidates

Former Kaduna Central Senator Shehu Sani has urged governorship candidates left out of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) final list to reconsider taking the commission to court, advising them to focus instead on future elections.

Sani said the affected politicians risk wasting time, money and energy by pursuing legal challenges over their exclusion, which he described as a lost battle.

He made the remarks in a social media post while reacting to INEC’s final list of candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Those affected include former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami; Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu; and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate in Kano State, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo.

The exclusions followed a Supreme Court ruling upholding provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 concerning political party membership registers and INEC’s timetable for the 2027 elections.

Reacting to the development, Sani said the Supreme Court’s decision had clarified the legal position, urging the affected candidates to accept the outcome rather than pursue further litigation.

“The Supreme Court ruling that enabled INEC to exclude some names of candidates is very clear,” he said.

“Affected candidates should not waste their money, time and energy fighting a lost battle.”

The former lawmaker also appealed to the lawyers representing the affected politicians, including senior advocates, to advise their clients against filing fresh lawsuits.

He urged legal practitioners to help the candidates avoid additional legal expenses and concentrate on preparing for subsequent political contests.

“I also wish to appeal to those Barristers and SANs to ‘pity’ those candidates and allow them to rest, and not mislead them into spending more money ‘filing fresh suits’,” Sani added.

“Four years will come and go; let them strategise for the future.”

INEC Explains Exclusion of Candidates

INEC released its final list following complaints from political parties and aggrieved aspirants over the implications of the Supreme Court judgment for candidates’ eligibility.

The commission’s chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, had earlier disclosed at a press conference in Abuja that INEC received a certified true copy of the judgment on Tuesday and was examining the decision to determine the appropriate steps to take.

In its September 24, 2026 judgment, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act 2026. The court also affirmed INEC’s revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections.

Following the ruling, INEC maintained that political parties could not participate in the elections with candidates whose names were missing from membership registers submitted to the commission within the prescribed period.

Mohammed Haruna, the national commissioner responsible for Information and Voter Education, said on Wednesday that affected parties would also be prohibited from replacing the excluded candidates.

He added that political parties would not be permitted to benefit from actions that violated the electoral requirements.

Pantami, Adebutu and Gwarzo Missing From Final List

Pantami was among those affected, as his name did not appear on INEC’s final list of governorship candidates for Gombe State.

The former minister had initially pursued the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket. However, he later defected to the PDP after the ruling party in the state settled on Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna as its consensus candidate.

In Ogun State, Adebutu, the PDP governorship candidate, was excluded alongside his running mate.

Gwarzo, who was seeking the Kano State governorship under the NDC, was also missing from the commission’s final list.

Sani’s advice comes amid growing uncertainty over the political future of the affected aspirants as parties and candidates assess the implications of the Supreme Court ruling ahead of the 2027 elections.