Adebutu, Pantami Missing As INEC Releases Final Ogun, Gombe Candidate Lists

The names of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidates in Ogun and Gombe states, Ladi Adebutu and Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, are missing from the final lists of candidates released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the February 6, 2027 governorship elections.

The omissions leave the PDP without a listed governorship candidate in both states, following controversies surrounding the eligibility of the two politicians and their emergence as the party’s flagbearers.

INEC published the final lists on Saturday, October 10, 2026, in line with the electoral timetable for the 2027 governorship and State House of Assembly elections.

In Ogun State, Adebutu and his running mate are absent from the list, which features candidates from several political parties, including the All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord, Action Alliance, Action Democratic Party and Social Democratic Party.

The APC’s Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, is listed as the party’s governorship candidate, with Kudirat Abiodun Balogun as his running mate.

Jimi Adebisi Lawal is listed as the ADC candidate, with a notation indicating a court order.

Adebutu’s exclusion comes amid allegations by groups, including the Ogun Democratic Accountability Forum and Elections Integrity Watch, that his name was missing from the PDP membership register submitted to INEC.

The groups had raised questions about his eligibility under Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026.

However, the Ogun PDP had dismissed the allegations as politically motivated fabrications intended to distract attention from issues surrounding the APC candidate.

In Gombe State, Pantami, a former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, is also absent from INEC’s final list, despite appearing on the provisional list published on August 29.

Pantami emerged as the PDP governorship candidate after defecting from the APC on May 19. His candidacy, however, became embroiled in litigation following a challenge to the primary election that produced him.

A Federal High Court sitting in Gombe nullified his initial emergence on September 24 and ordered the party to conduct a fresh primary.

Pantami subsequently won the court-ordered rerun primary held on September 29, polling 2,054 votes to defeat Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki Mailantarki and Usman Aliyu Garry.

His absence from the final list raises fresh questions about the status of his candidacy despite his victory in the rerun primary.

The development also follows a September 24 Supreme Court judgment restoring Sections 77(5), (6) and (7), as well as Section 84(2), of the Electoral Act 2026, provisions that have implications for party membership records and the conduct of primaries.

The Supreme Court barred political parties from fielding candidates whose names were not included in the membership registers submitted to INEC within the stipulated period.

Speaking on Trust TV’s Daily Politics, INEC National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna had indicated that, in line with the Supreme Court ruling, some political parties would not field candidates in the election.

INEC’s final list for Gombe contains 16 governorship candidates. Those listed include Bala Bello Tinka of the ADC, Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna of the APC and Babayo Ardo Kumo of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

Other candidates include Zubairu Mu’azu Halilu of the Labour Party, Lamela L. Silas of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Ibrahim Jalo Abubakar of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Adamu Mohammed Ma’aji of the SDP.

Under the electoral timetable, political parties have 14 days after the publication of the final list to notify INEC in writing of any missing candidate’s name. Such notification must be supported by an affidavit sworn by the party’s national chairman and national secretary.

It was not immediately clear whether the PDP or either of the affected candidates would invoke the available administrative or legal procedures to challenge the omissions.

The 2027 governorship elections are scheduled for February 6, 2027.