Nigerian parties set to sue electoral body over candidate omissions

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) have indicated that they will initiate legal proceedings against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) if the electoral body fails to reinstate candidates omitted from its final list for the 2027 general elections. According to Punch, the parties’ national publicity secretaries, Mohammed Jungudo and Osa Director, stated in exclusive interviews that litigation is likely if the current situation persists until the October 24 deadline.

The dispute stems from INEC’s publication of the final candidate list for the February 6, 2027 governorship elections on October 10. This decision followed a Supreme Court judgment concerning party membership and registration data. The list, signed by INEC Secretary Rose Oriaran-Anthony, featured 13 candidates but excluded several prominent figures. Notable omissions include former Communications and Digital Economy Minister Isa Pantami, the PDP candidate in Gombe State, and Oladipupo Adebutu, the PDP candidate in Ogun State. Other affected contestants include Aminu Gwarzo of the NDC in Kano State, Senator Danjuma Tella La’ah in Kaduna State, and Prof. Sebastine Hon of the Social Democratic Party in Benue State.

In a statement issued on October 13, INEC explained that candidates were excluded because their political parties failed to submit membership registers as required by law. The commission cited Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which grants parties 14 days from the date of publication to notify the commission of wrongly omitted candidates. Consequently, October 24, 2026, was set as the deadline for these notifications.

Jungudo noted that the PDP leadership and legal teams have already contacted INEC, but progress has been slow. He observed that "There is no headway and no development" as of the previous Friday. He added that the party intends to exhaust the 14-day window before exploring legal remedies, noting that Pantami’s lawyers have already written to the commission. Similarly, Osa Director stated that the NDC has acknowledged its letters to INEC but is yet to receive a response. He expressed hope that the commission will act before the deadline, but warned that the NDC would take "other lawful steps" if the omissions remain unaddressed.