The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has received numerous petitions from political parties and candidates challenging the omission of names from its final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections.
Sources at the commission told Daily Trust that it would consider the complaints at its next meeting, scheduled for Thursday, October 29.
The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the commission received many petitions before the 14-day window for complaints closed on Saturday.
The window was opened after INEC published the particulars of candidates.
“Yesterday (Saturday) was the final day for receiving petitions. Up until that time, we were still receiving petitions,” one of the sources said.
Among the petitions are those concerning the omission of a former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Pantami, who is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Gombe State; and the PDP governorship candidate in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu.
Others are the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidates in Kano and Kaduna states, Aminu Gwarzo and Senator Danjuma Laah, as well as the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship nominee in Benue State, Sebastine Hon.
Another source explained that the commission had received a preliminary report on the petitions, but would only take a final decision after the deadline.
“There was a kind of preliminary report, but the final report can only come out after the deadline for receiving petitions,” the source said.
The official could not say how many parties submitted petitions, but noted that all were addressed to the INEC chairman and were being reviewed by the relevant departments.
“Of course, all petitions are addressed to the chairman. You need to sit down with them for the advice of the department. As a department, we have been going through all that, and they had a preliminary report,” the source said.
Asked whether Pantami’s case would be considered at the meeting, the source said all the petitions would be treated in line with the law.
“All the cases. It is what the law says. After publication, they have two weeks to petition, whether they think it will be fair or unfair to them,” he said.
The source said the meeting’s timing was tied to the ongoing zonal tour of the INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, ahead of the elections.
“So, our next meeting, I know it’s on Thursday because even the chairman is on Zonal tour. Today (Sunday) or tomorrow (Monday), he should be in Gombe and come back on Wednesday. And when they come back on Wednesday, we will have a meeting on Thursday,” he said.
