INEC Demands Formal Complaints Over Omission of Candidates

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on political parties affected by the omission of their candidates from its final list for the 2027 general elections to submit formal complaints, as the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) pursue different approaches to resolving the issue.

While the NDC is engaging the commission in discussions to correct the alleged errors, the SDP has begun legal proceedings over the exclusion of its candidates.

The NDC’s National Publicity Secretary, Araba Director, said the party had not approached the court because it was still exploring ways to resolve the matter with INEC. He explained that the party intended to use the 14-day period provided under the Electoral Act 2026 to address errors identified in the published list.

Director added that the NDC was considering all available legal and constitutional options to ensure its candidates were included.

However, the SDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Araba Rufus Abiyegba, said his party had already prepared an affidavit and served the commission as part of its legal challenge. He expressed confidence in the judiciary as the party pursued the matter.

INEC, meanwhile, said it would not respond to media reports concerning the missing candidates and the affected political parties, maintaining that formal complaints should be submitted through the appropriate channels.

The controversy extends beyond the NDC and SDP, as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) have also reported omissions from the final list.

Among the affected candidates are the PDP’s governorship hopefuls in Oyo and Gombe states, the ADC’s candidate in Cross River State and the SDP’s candidate in Benue State.

In Kano State, the NDC’s governorship candidate, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, and his running mate, Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso, were absent from the published list.

Dr Yusuf Ibrahim Kotamata, an NDC House of Representatives candidate in Kano, attributed the omission to an error in entering the candidates’ details. He said the party had received assurances that INEC was working to correct the problem.

Kotamata maintained that Gwarzo completed his registration within the prescribed period and that the party submitted the required information through the commission’s online portal.

The NDC’s governorship candidate in Cross River State, John Upan Odey Jr, also described his exclusion as an administrative error, noting that candidates in other states had reportedly faced similar problems.

The PDP said it had begun discussions with INEC to resolve the omissions in line with electoral laws and guidelines. Its National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, said the party was treating the matter seriously and wanted the concerns surrounding the validity of its candidates’ nominations addressed.

In Ogun State, the PDP’s governorship candidate, Oladipupo Adebulu, insisted that his absence from the list would not end his political ambition. He said he had completed his digital registration and submitted the necessary documents within the required period.

Similarly, the SDP’s candidate in Benue State, Professor Sebastian Hon, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, expressed optimism that the omission would be corrected.

The NDC has maintained that it will pursue all available legal options to secure the inclusion of its candidates, while the SDP has taken its complaint to the courts. The parties are seeking to resolve the omissions ahead of the 2027 elections.