The National Association of Achievers Movement has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to explain the inclusion and exclusion of governorship candidates in its final lists for the 2027 general elections, demanding transparency, equal application of the law and electoral justice.
The association urged INEC to publish clear, legal and factual explanations for the exclusion of Professor Isa Ali Pantami in Gombe, Ladi Adebutu in Ogun and Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo in Kano, while clarifying the basis for recognising Senator Shehu Buba Umar in Bauchi, former Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Adamu in Nasarawa and Kingsley Chinda in Rivers States.
It also called for the consistent application of the Electoral Act 2026, transparency in political party membership registers and nomination procedures, and corrective action where administrative errors or unlawful decisions are established.
The Association further urged affected parties and candidates to pursue available legal remedies within the stipulated timelines.
READ ALSO: Oyo APC Reconciles Governorship Candidate with Aggrieved Aspirants
The Association of Achievers Movement made the demands in a press statement ahead of the 2027 elections, following public concerns over INEC’s final list of governorship candidates.
In a statement signed by its National President, Professor Bishop Fumlack Victor, it said the contrasting outcomes of the candidates’ nomination processes raised legitimate questions about the consistency of the commission’s decisions following a Supreme Court judgment delivered on 24 September 2026.
The judgment restored the operation of Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026 concerning political party membership registers and participation in nomination processes.
The Association acknowledged INEC’s explanation that the exclusion of Pantami and Adebutu arose from their respective parties’ alleged non-compliance with the membership register requirements under Sections 77(5) and 77(7) of the Act.
However, it said the precise legal grounds and relevant facts behind each decision required further clarification.
Pantami had emerged from a fresh Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary in Gombe State, following earlier litigation over the party’s nomination process, saying his subsequent omission from INEC’s list has raised questions about the relationship between the primary, membership register requirements and the commission’s decision.
For Adebutu and his running mate, the group said they were also omitted from the published list in Ogun, while Gwarzo, associated with the New Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kano, was reported among the excluded candidates.
It called for clarity on the specific grounds applicable to each case, including the submission dates of membership registers and whether the affected candidates’ names appeared in the relevant records.
The association also questioned the circumstances surrounding Umar’s emergence as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) in Bauchi after previously belonging to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
It asked INEC to clarify whether his party membership was properly documented, whether the relevant register was submitted within the prescribed period and whether his nomination met the applicable statutory requirements.
In Rivers, the group raised questions about Chinda’s inclusion as the APC governorship candidate, citing public concerns over the timing of his party registration, the governorship primary and his subsequent public announcement of defection from the PDP.
It urged INEC to explain whether the relevant membership and nomination requirements had been satisfied.
The group similarly sought clarification on the nomination of Adamu as the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in Nasarawa, reportedly following the withdrawal of an earlier nominee and a subsequent substitution process.
It said the commission should explain the legal and procedural basis for recognising his candidacy.
NAAM stressed that the circumstances surrounding the candidates could differ and that questions about their nominations did not, by themselves, establish any breach of the law.
It said it was neither seeking the disqualification of candidates whose names appeared on the list nor demanding the automatic reinstatement of those excluded.
Instead, the association maintained that INEC should identify any material differences between the cases, explain the evidence supporting its decisions and ensure that all candidates were assessed against the same applicable legal standards.
It also called for lawful access to remedies and timely consideration of properly submitted complaints.
INEC’S RESPONSE
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in a press statement issued on October 13, 2026 explained that the exclusion of some political parties and their candidates from the final list for the 2027 governorship election was in compliance with a Supreme Court judgement affirming the mandatory nature of membership register submission ahead of party primaries.
According to INEC, the Supreme Court ruled that all political parties must comply with the provisions requiring the submission of their membership registers as a prerequisite for valid party primaries.
INEC further said the court also upheld the commission’s timetable directing political parties to submit their registers between April 21 and May 10, 2026 and held that parties that failed to meet the requirement were ineligible to sponsor candidates in the election.
It said it applied the ruling in preparing the final governorship candidates’ list, in accordance with Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which requires compliance with decisions of the Supreme Court.
The commission also clarified that the ruling came after the final lists of presidential and National Assembly candidates had been published on September 12, 2026, making the timing of the judgement relevant to the different stages of candidate listing.
It said that under Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, political parties that believe their candidates were wrongly excluded had 14 days from the date of publication of the relevant list to notify the commission.
INEC fixed October 24, 2026, as the deadline for such notifications, reaffirming its commitment to the rule of law, transparency and the credibility of the electoral process.
