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<p>By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa</p><div class="jTTFu27s" style="clear:both;float:left;width:100%;margin:0 0 20px 0;"><script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>

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<p>The candidacies of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Ogun State governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress’s Kano State candidate, Aminu Gwarzo, remain unresolved after their petitions were among 64 rejected by the Independent National Electoral Commission on Thursday.</p>
<p>However, INEC cleared Isa Ali Pantami, former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy and PDP governorship candidate in Gombe State, to contest the 2027 election.</p><div class="iDQKrzEk" style="clear:both;float:left;width:100%;margin:0 0 20px 0;"><script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>

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<p>A source in INEC, who spoke to The PUNCH on Thursday night on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment on the matter, said Adebutu’s and Gwarzo’s candidacies remained uncertain after the commission reviewed complaints over the final lists of candidates for the 2027 governorship and State House of Assembly elections. He confirmed that Pantami had been cleared for Gombe State.</p>
<p>On Adebutu, the source said his name was not included in the list because it was not on the candidate list originally submitted to INEC by his party.</p>
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<p>“His petition was rejected because his name was not included in the list of candidates originally submitted to INEC by the PDP,” the source said.</p>
<p>On Gwarzo, the source said the deputy governor would have made the list but for an ex parte order issued by the Federal High Court, which barred INEC from publishing his name. He added that Gwarzo’s clearance remained subject to the outcome of litigation over his candidacy.</p>
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<p>“He would have scaled through, but unfortunately, there was an ex parte order from the Federal High Court barring INEC from publishing his name. That was the reason he was not cleared,” the source added.</p>
<p>The source said INEC would publish the updated list of candidates for the elections by Friday (today).</p>
<p>INEC had, on October 10, 2026, published the names of presidential, National Assembly, governorship and State House of Assembly candidates on its website. Following that publication, the names of Adebutu, Pantami and Gwarzo, among others, were missing.</p>
<p>In a statement issued on Thursday night and signed by the Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, the commission said it upheld 66 petitions challenging the final lists of governorship and State House of Assembly candidates for the 2027 general elections and rejected 64 others.</p>
<p>The petitions followed the publication of the final candidate lists on October 10, 2026, with complaints bordering on the omission of political parties, the inclusion of candidates whose names were absent from their parties’ membership registers and alleged multiple nominations.</p>
<p>Haruna said the commission reviewed the complaints, relevant records and applicable legal provisions before reaching its decisions.</p>
<p>He said, “Following a review of the complaints, relevant records and applicable legal provisions, the commission found merit in some representations and approved the inclusion of affected candidates and their political parties, while complaints found to be without merit were declined.”</p>
<p>He added that the commission had removed some candidates whose names were wrongfully published after verifying that they were not listed in the membership registers submitted by their political parties.</p>
<p>“The commission also approved the removal of candidates whose nominations were found to be inconsistent with the applicable legal requirements,” the statement said.</p>
<p>According to INEC, 69 petitions were received from 12 political parties across 26 states concerning the governorship election. Of these, 41 were successful, while 28 were rejected.</p>
<p>For the State House of Assembly elections, the commission received 61 petitions from 11 political parties across 11 states. Twenty-five petitions were upheld, while 36 were unsuccessful.</p>
<p>The commission said its decisions on State House of Assembly candidates were based on specific complaints received and determined in accordance with the law and its established criteria.</p>
<p>INEC said the affected candidates, political parties and states would be reflected in an updated list to be published on its website. The commission reiterated its commitment to transparency and electoral credibility.</p>
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