Why Isa Patanmi, Adebutu and odas dey miss from Inec governorship candidates list

Di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) don debunk one tori wey dey circulate for social media on top issues wey affect di list of governorship candidates for six states, wey include, Zamfara, Gombe, Delta, Plateau, Yobe, and Kano.

According to di tori, di electoral body don drop one special announcement on top di govnorship candidates wey dia names no make di final govnorship candidates list for di 6 February 2026 election, wey di commission release ova di weekend.

Di commission for one statement on dia official X account on Monday, 12 October make am clear say, dem no make any special announcement, say make pipo ignore di report.

"Di commission wish to categorically inform di general public say di publication na FAKE and e no originate from Inec," di electoral body tok.

Dis clarification dey come afta di names of some prominent governorship candidate for di opposition parties wey include Isa Pantami and Ladi Adebutu of di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), di govnorship candidates for Gombe and Ogun states, plus Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo of di Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for Kano state fail to make di list.

For di statement, Inec no tok why dem comot di names of some of di candidates, howeva, BBC don reach out to dem for comment and dem say dem go soon respond.

Di commission tok say di list wey include dis states; Zamfara, Gombe, Delta, Plateau, Yobe and Kano, "no originate from Inec."

Dem ask Nigerians to verify evri informate from dia official website and social media pages to "avoid false or fraudulent publications.

Some of di governorship candidates wey dia names no dey on INEC final governorship list on Sunday don react.

Who be di govnorship candidates wey no make di list

Ogun State: Oladipupo Adebutu - PDP

Following di release of di list, Adebutu don assure im supporters say im still be member of di PDP party and im go pursue di issue through di appropriate channels, as e call on Inec to respect di electoral process for im eligibility as PDP governorship candidate in Ogun State.

"We go pursue dis mata through di appropriate channels and insist say make due process dey respected".

PDP say na all di names of dia candidates wey go participate for di coming elections dem submit give Inec officials.

Gombe State: Isa Pantami - PDP

Isa Pantami, di PDP govnorship candidate for Gombe state for im reaction tok say di omission na temporary challenges and na normal part of electoral process. E make am clear say dat no be di final determination.

Suleiman Mohammed, tok-tok pesin to di former minister of Communications allege say dem dey aware say na some pipo dey work behind di scene to frustrate good and responsible leadership for Gombe State, but dia legal and liaison teams don dey engage wit di party leadership and Inec to ensure say dem rectify am.

Also, PDP tok-tok pesin Jungudo Haruna Mohammed tell di candidates say dem don engage wit Inec to try resolve di issue of di omission of dia names from di final list of candidates wey go contest for di 2027 governorship elections.

E assure all di candidates say dem dey treat dia concerns wit "utmost seriousness and go communicate further developments as appropriate."

Kano Sate: Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC)

For di NDC govnorship candidate Abdussalam Gwarzo wey im name miss for di list, di party tok-tok pesin Habibu Mohammed say di omission na great concern among di party supporters, but dem believe say na administrative error na from Inec.

"We dey shocked, becos we believe we no get any issue or any pending court judgement, we believe na administrative error," e tok.

"We go engage Inec and we dey certain say tins go work out becos we no get any reason to feel otherwise."

Wetin di Nigeria law tok about party members registrations on Inec portal

On 24 September, Supreme Court restore Section 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of di Electoral Act 2026 wey di Court of Appeal don declare unconstitutional for July.

Under Section 77(5), only party members wey dia names appear for di membership register wey di party submit to INEC within di period dey eligible to participate for party primaries, congress and conventions.

Section 77(6) tok say political parties suppose use di register wey dem submit for dia primaries. But Section 77(7) tok say any party wey no submit dia register within di time dey ineligible to field candidates.

Wen BBCNewsPidgin reach out to Inec tok-tok pesin Adedayo Eriye Oketola, e tok say di commission dey handle di matta at di moment.

"Later we go issue statement on di matta but now we still dey handle di matta," e tok.

Full list of govnorship candidates Inec approve for 2027 elections

Di All Progressives Congress (APC) govnorship candidate for di 2027 election for Rivers State don get clearance from di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec).

Inec clear Kingsley Chinda for di 2027 govnorship election for Rivers State, south-south, Nigeria afta dem include im name for di list of govnorship candidates wey dem release on Saturday night.

Inec publish di names of govnorship candidates for all di political parties wey go contest for di 2027 elections.

Kingsley Ogundu Chinda na di former minority leader of di House of Representatives and na former member of di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Im bin dey represent di Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency from 2011 t0 2019.

Kingsley Chinda name begin trend months ago wen im emerge as di govnorship candidate for di All Progressives Congress (APC) for Rivers State wen di public bin know am as member of di Peoples Democratic Party.

Nigerians begin ask question about wen im port join di APC and weda im still be minority leader for di House of Representatives.

Afta di Supreme Court judgement on Thursday 24 September, 2026 Kingsley Chinda name begin trend again as di Supreme Court judgement restore some provisions of di Electoral Act 2026.

Supreme Court rule on di Electoral Act 2026 provisions wey dey govern political party membership registers and di nomination of candidates.

Di seven-member panel wey Justice Adamu Jauro lead set aside di court of appeal judgement wey bin void sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of di Act.

Dis sections concern di statutory requirements wey relate to political parties membership registers, direct primaries or consensus as methods for di nomination of candidates by political parties.

Sake of dis supreme court judgement, one group Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) ask di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) to disqualify Kingsley Chinda as di APC govnorship candidate for Rivers state for di 2027 election.

Di group bin ask Inec to check "di status of di APC govnorship nomination, di applicable membership-register requirements, di records wey bin dey submitted to Inec by di APC, and di appropriate steps wey dey required to give effect to di Supreme Court decision".

Wit all dis tok-tok, di APC for Rivers State tok say 'We no get issues' as dem bin react to di defection of dia candidate Kingsley Chinda.

Wit dis list wey Inec release, e mean say im no get any issue and im go still be di govnorship candidate for APC for di 2027 election.

List of some govnorship candidates state by state

Abia State

Opah Eric Chinemeucheya - APC

Kalu Kalu Agwu - ADC

Ijioma Uchechukwu Charles - APGA

Otti Alex Chioma - LP

Ogah Iroetugo Ndubuisi - NDC

Anosike Kelechi - PDP

Adamawa State

Modibo Hammantukur Ribadu - ADC

Umaru Babangida Bajabure - ADP

Amini Ahmed Galadima - APC

Ishaku Elisha Cliff - LP

Dahiru Aishatu Ahmed - NDC

Vunobolki Maurice Michael - PDP

Akwa Ibom State

John James Akpanudohedehe - ADC

Eno Umoh Bassey - APC

Jimmy Stella Monday - APGA

Mbaba Michael Bush - LP

Enyong Michael Okon - NDC

Brownson Ibanga Akpan - PDP

Bauchi State

Halliru Dauda Jika -ADC

Shehu Jinda Yunusa - ADP

Abubakar Mohammed Abdullahi - APC

Aliyu Idris Muhammed - LP

Kashim Ibrahim Muhammed - NDC

Adamu Usman Ahmed - PDP

Benue State

Hembe Iowase Herman - ADC

Nyimba Kwaghshir - ADP

Alia Hycinth Iormem - APC

Byuwan Mathias Terwase - LP

Shija Terhemba - NDC

Aondoakaa Michael Kaase - PDP

Borno State

Babagana Buhari - ADC

Munguno Rufai Alhaji - ADP

Gubio Alhaji Mustapha - APC

Konto Umar - LP

Ibrahim Sanusi Kashim - NDC

Abba-Gana Ibrahim Baba - PDP

Cross River

Otu Bassey Edet - APC

Obu Ogar Osim - LP

Archibong Arthur Javis - PDP

Joelyn Ita Hogan - Bassey - ADP

Delta State

Ogboru Ovedje Great - ADC

Oborevwori Sheriff - APC

James Esther - LP

Itovwaye Chris - NDC

Mrakpor Peter - PDP

Obuseh Felix Ogechukwu - SDP

Ebonyi State

Ukpai Mbah Udeh - ADC

Nwifuru Ogbonna Francis - APC

Nwodom Lucy Chinwe - APGA

Eze Oko Spledour - LP

Igwe Nwagu Palinus - NDC

Chukwuma Odii Ifeanyi - PDP

Enugu State

Ocho Bodoeze Chukwuma - ADC

Mbah Peter Ndubuisi - APC

Ugwu Okwudilichukwu Chukwudera - LP

Ohaa Chiyeaka Christian - NDC

Nnaji Uchechukwu Geoffrey - PDP

Iloka Friday - SDP

Gombe State

Bala Bello - ADC

Adeh Nuhu Milah - ADP

Gwamna Jamil Isyaku - APC

Muazu Zubairu Halilu - LP

Ardo Babayo Kumo - NDC

Jigawa State

Sabo Mohammed Nakudu - ADC

Sulaiman Ibrahim - ADP

Namadi Umar - APC

Abdul'aziz Aminu - LP

Dutse Aminu Sani - NDC

Sule Mustapha Lamido - PDP

Kano State

Ibrahim Ali Amin - ADC

Muhammed Abdullahi - ADP

Yusuf Abba Kabir- APC

Santuraki Hamisu - LP

Abacha Muhammed Sani - PDP

Hussaini Bello Ado - SDP

Katsina State

Ahmed Baba Kaita - ADC

Ahmed Murtala - ADP

Umar Dikko Radda - APC

Ilu-Barde Aliyu - NDC

Gard Yakubu Lardo - PDP

Kwara State

Zakari Muhammed - ADC

Adeshina Ajisafe - ADP

Yakubu Danladi Salihu - APC

Abdulmunin Yinka Ajia - NDC

Kawu Suleman Bolakale - PDP

Amokanye David Adetoyese - NNPP

Kebbi State

Malami Abubakar - ADC

Yahaya Ayuba - ADP

Idris Nasir - APC

Usman Aliyu - LP

Umar Faruk - SDP

Niger State

Mohammed Kpataugi - ADC

Mohammed Umaru Bago - APC

Mohammed Adamu - APGA

Mohammed Usman - LP

Muhammed Yahaya Adam - NDC

Muhammed Mamman Nami - PDP

Lagos State

Gbadebo Rhodes Vivour - ADC

Hamzat Kadri Obafemi - APC

Odunaike Oluwapemilerin Olurotimi - LP

Doherty Olufunsho Adeshina - NDC

Doherty Adedeji Olugbemiga - PDP

Olaniyi Olufemi - SDP

Ogun State

Lawal Jimi Adebisi - ADC

Anifowose Johncrownfit Kayode - ADP

Adeola Solomon Olamilekan - APC

Ola Williams Adeyinka - SDP

Rivers State

Pidomson Gabriel Baritulem - ADC

Kingsley Ogundu Chinda - APC

Boms Chima Ernest - LP

Lulu-Briggs Dumo Owukori - NDC

Ejekwu Samuel Soni - PDP

Ben-Gurion Peter - SDP

Nasarawa State

Nuhu Angbazo- ADC

Christopher Mamman - ADP

Aliyu Ahmed Wadada - APC

Gaza Jonathan Gbefwi - LP

Emmanuel David Ombugado - PDP

Muhammed Abubakar Adamu - SDP

Oyo State

Adegoke Taofeek Adeboyega - ADC

Alli Sharafadeen Abiodun - APC

Salami Gbolagade Tajudeen - APGA

Kareem Thompson Sola - LP

Yusuf Akim Adebola - NDC

Gbolarumi Hazeem Ola - PDP

Plateau State

Sura John Sunday - ADC

Dawop Sani Sai'du - ADP

Muftwang Caleb Manasseh - APC

Nura Tanko - LP

Ropshik Kefas Wungak - PDP

Sokoto State

Manir Muhammad Dan'iya - ADC

Sarkin Larabawa Nasiru - ADP

Aliyu Ahmed Sokoto - APC

Haliru Abubakar Dikko - LP

Aliyu Shamsudeen Ahmad - NDC

Abdullahi Sokoto Abubakar - PDP

Taraba State

Abubakar Umar Tutare - ADC

Mamman Abubakar Mustapha - ADP

Kefas Agbu - APC

Shiddi Danjuma Usman - APGA

Nathan Sanda - LP

Yahaya Mohammed Sani - NDC

Bwacha Emmanuel - PDP

Yobe State

Kassim Gaidam - ADC

Mohammed Nasiru Saleh - ADP

Wali Baba Mallam - APC

Kolomi Aji - LP

Ibrahim Mallam Shuaibu - NDC

Usman Abdullahi - PDP

Zamfara State

Aliyu Bashir - APGA

Yusuf Sani - LP

Marafa Kabiru Garba - NDC

Shehu Gusau Ibrahim - PDP

Musa Hamza - SDP