PDP, NDC consider court action as INEC faces Oct. 24 deadline over excluded 2027 candidates

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have indicated plans to challenge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in court if the commission fails to address the exclusion of their candidates from the 2027 gubernatorial election list by October 24.

The parties said they had filed formal complaints with the election referee but had not received a response that could resolve the dispute, raising the prospect of a legal battle over the eligibility of some contestants ahead of the election.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mohammed Jungudo, and NDC spokesperson, Director Osa, revealed their party positions in separate interviews, stressing that they will pursue available legal options if INEC fails to rectify what they consider to be wrongful omissions within the timeframe prescribed by law.

The controversy arose after INEC released the final list of gubernatorial candidates for the February 6, 2027 gubernatorial election on October 10. The document signed by the Commission Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, excludes several candidates following developments related to the Supreme Court ruling regarding party membership and registration data.

Among those missing from the published list is former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, the PDP gubernatorial candidate in Gombe State, and Oladipupo Adebutu, the party’s flag bearer in Ogun State.

Other politicians affected include Aminu Gwarzo, the NDC governorship candidate in Kano State; former Senator Danjuma Tella La’ah in Kaduna State; and Prof. Sebastine Hon (SAN), Social Democratic Party candidate in Benue State.

INEC, in its statement dated October 13, attributed the exclusion to the failure of the affected political parties to submit their membership lists as required by law.

The commission referred to Section 32(2) of the Elections Act 2026, which allows political parties who believe that their candidates have not been fielded to notify INEC within 14 days of the final list being announced.

The October 24 deadline therefore becomes a critical date for affected parties, who must determine whether their complaints can be resolved administratively or whether judicial intervention is necessary.

Junudo said the PDP continues to engage the commission through its leadership and the legal team representing the affected candidates, but the discussions have not yielded any concrete results.

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He stated, “We are still engaging them, but there is a trend, a possibility, that we might end up in litigation. As of Friday last week, there was no progress. No progress. No progress and no progress.

“However, if in the end we are still within the timeframe set by the guidelines, we will wait and spend 14 days to see what the outcome is. If there is no outcome, then we will have no choice but to seek legal remedies.

“As you can see, Pantami’s lawyers have written to INEC. We are still hopeful that the 14-day period provided by law will bring something positive. But if nothing comes of it, we will seek legal solutions.”

The PDP spokesperson’s comments indicated that the party intended to let the law’s time frame run its course before deciding on its next steps. References to Pantami’s legal team also show that each candidate made their own efforts to obtain clarification or review of their exclusions.

Meanwhile, the NDC said it has fulfilled the requirements to formally notify INEC but is still waiting for the commission to respond to its correspondence.

The director said the party remains hopeful that the issue can be resolved before the deadline, although it is ready to take further action if negligence continues.

He stated, “We have written to the commission, and they have received and acknowledged our letters. We have communicated with them as required by law, however, to date, they have not responded to our letters.

“However, there is still time as the 14-day period will end on October 24. We hope the commission will respond before that date.

“But if the party fails to address the disappearance of our candidate from the list, we will, as a law-abiding party, take other lawful steps to ensure that the right thing is done.”

The dispute highlights the procedural and legal challenges that can arise when political parties challenge the exclusion of their candidates from official election lists. While the affected parties are seeking a review of INEC’s decision, the commission stated that the negligence stems from the failure to comply with the statutory requirements in submitting membership lists.