Governorship candidates whose names were missing from the final list released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will have to wait longer to learn their electoral fate.
The commission excluded their names following the September 24 Supreme Court judgment, which upheld the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
It had directed the affected candidates to submit their objections through their political parties on or before Saturday.
“Those affected include Oladipupo Adebutu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State; Isa Ali Pantami of the PDP in Gombe State; and Aminu Gwarzo of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kano State.”
The candidates are awaiting the commission’s decision on their appeals to determine whether they will contest next year’s governorship elections.
INEC’s Director of Information and Voter Education, Victoria Eta-Mesi, told our reporter yesterday that the commission would make the necessary amendments but had not determined when the revised list would be released.
She said: “All corrections submitted by other parties and candidates, together with court orders, are being effected and will be published once ready.
“No date has been fixed for the publication.”
A senior source within the commission said it was examining submissions from candidates and political parties and would assess each case on its merits.
The source said: “The commission received complaints and will review them according to their merit and in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the Constitution.
“Those who are in accordance with the law will be included, while those who fail the legal test will not be part of the election.
“Don’t forget, some of the candidates and parties are also in court.
“When the judgments are delivered, the commission will review and comply accordingly.”
The commission’s position followed complaints from political parties and candidates whose names were missing from the lists for governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections.
The National Assembly candidates’ list contained names of candidates who may have breached provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, following the Supreme Court’s ruling on Section 77 of the legislation.
However, some candidates were left out of the governorship and state Houses of Assembly lists, triggering protests from the affected parties and individuals.
INEC subsequently directed them to submit their complaints by October 24 for review.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) also petitioned the commission, requesting that it implement the Supreme Court judgment.
INEC maintained that corrections submitted by political parties and candidates, alongside relevant court orders, were being processed and would be made public when completed.
Olawepo-Hashim’s name yet to appear online
Olawepo-Hashim’s name had not been uploaded to INEC’s website as Accord’s presidential candidate as of yesterday.
The reason for the delay remained unclear, despite a statement by INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, that the commission would abide by the judgment and recognise him as the 19th presidential candidate for the January 16 election.
However, sources indicated that the delay could be linked to an appeal filed by the party.
Accord National Chairman Maxwell Mgbudem told The Nation that the party had appealed the judgment but declined to provide further details about the case.
