2027: INEC Clears Pantami As Kano NDC’s Gwarzo Misses Final List

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has included Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for Gombe State.

Naija News reports that INEC released an updated final list of governorship candidates for the forthcoming elections on Saturday.

INEC said in a statement that it made the update after reviewing court judgments and party submissions.

However, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for Kano State, Abdulsalam Gwarzo, remains omitted from the list, with INEC citing a subsisting court order.

The commission noted that while Pantami’s inclusion was approved following compliance with all legal requirements, the case of the Kano NDC candidate remains under litigation and therefore cannot be included until the court order is vacated.

INEC said in its update, “INEC updates final governorship list: Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, PDP, now included for Gombe, Kano NDC’s Gwarzo still omitted under court order.” 

The commission said it will publish the final list on its website and at all its state offices.

The latest development followed complaints from candidates and political parties after INEC left some names out of the lists it published ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Pantami and Gwarzo were among the prominent governorship candidates whose names were missing from the list the commission released in October.

INEC had explained that the omissions were linked to alleged failure by some political parties to comply with provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026, requiring them to submit their membership registers.

The commission said its position was based on a September 24, 2026, Supreme Court judgment that upheld the constitutionality of Section 77(5) to (7) of the Electoral Act, which makes submitting party membership registers compulsory.

Gwarzo had gone to court to challenge the omission of his name and that of his running mate, Rabiu Mustapha, from the list of governorship candidates in Kano State.