The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections, bringing an end to months of uncertainty over the political fate of several prominent politicians.
However, the list, released by the electoral commission on Saturday, excluded some high-profile names, including former President Goodluck Jonathan, whom the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) claimed to have submitted to INEC as its presidential candidate.
Also missing from the final list were the senator representing Delta North Senatorial District, Ned Nwoko; former Ogun State Governor, Gbenga Daniel, who represents Ogun East Senatorial District; former Gombe State Governor, Danjuma Goje, representing Gombe Central; and Senator Garba Maidoki of Kebbi South, NEWSNGR understands.
The omission of Nwoko from the final list effectively confirmed his earlier defeat in the APC senatorial primary election.
Nwoko’s name was not on the list displayed at the INEC office in Asaba, Delta State, with former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa emerging as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Delta North Senatorial District.
The development came about two months after Senate President Godswill Akpabio assured lawmakers who lost their return tickets during the APC primaries that the party leadership was working to address complaints arising from the exercise.
However, findings showed that although the APC later reinstated six serving senators following a review of petitions submitted to its Primary Election Appeal Committee, several influential politicians who had hoped to benefit from the process remained excluded from the final list submitted to INEC.
In Gombe State, former Governor Danjuma Goje also failed to secure the APC ticket for Gombe Central.
Goje lost the party’s ticket to a retired Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Ahmed.
On the platform of the opposition PDP, former Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo secured the party’s ticket for Gombe North Senatorial District, while Senator Anthony Siyako emerged as its candidate for Gombe South.
In Bauchi State, two serving federal lawmakers were also absent from the final list released by INEC.
They are Senator Shehu Buba, representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, and the member representing Darazo/Ganjuwa Federal Constituency, Mansur Soro.
Buba, who was elected on the platform of the APC, will not seek re-election after defecting to the Peoples Redemption Party, where he secured the governorship ticket.
Soro had earlier announced that he would not contest for the Bauchi Central Senatorial seat or seek another term in the House of Representatives.
NEWSNGR reports that the latest development followed an earlier review of the APC’s primary elections, during which the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) overturned the victories of some senatorial candidates and restored six serving senators.
The review, which affected nine states, including Kogi, Benue, Taraba, Ondo, Abia, Niger, Kwara, Kaduna and Ebonyi, was carried out based on recommendations from the party’s Primary Election Appeal Committee.
The six senators reinstated by the party were Sunday Karimi, Emmanuel Udende, Titus Zam, Shuaibu Isa Lau, Adeniyi Adegbonmire and Olajide Ipinsagba.
In Abia State, Prince Paul Ikonne also replaced Edinburgh Uchenna Erondu as the APC candidate for Abia South.
One of the major surprises from the review was the reversal of former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam’s earlier victory in favour of the incumbent senator, Emmanuel Udende.
The release of the final candidate list by INEC has now formally settled the candidature of those cleared to contest the 2027 elections, while leaving several political heavyweights outside the race.
