INEC FACES FRESH SCRUTINY OVER OMISSION OF GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATES

Opposition political parties have raised concerns over political participation, electoral fairness and the credibility of Nigeria’s democratic process, following the omission of some governorship candidates from the final list published by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In Kano and Gombe states, the omission of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate, AMINU GWARZO, and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, ISA ALI PANTAMI, respectively, from INEC’s published list has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding their exclusion, with the NDC alleging political conspiracy and insisting that it complied with the nomination requirements.

Similarly, the acting publicity secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano State, KABIRU KWANIKA, said the omission of candidates could undermine democratic participation if eligible contestants were excluded from the electoral process.

KWANIKA insisted that political parties should have a fair opportunity to nominate candidates and compete in elections, provided they comply with the law and further called on INEC to protect its institutional credibility and ensure that its decisions on candidate nominations were transparent and consistent.