PDP, NDC Threaten Court Action Against INEC Over 2027 Governorship Candidates

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) have threatened legal action against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the exclusion of some of their candidates from the final list for the 2027 governorship elections.

The parties said they had formally written to the electoral commission seeking a resolution but were yet to receive substantive responses ahead of the October 24 deadline for complaints.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mohammed Jungudo, and his NDC counterpart, Osa Director, disclosed their parties’ positions in separate interviews with journalists, according to Naija News.

INEC published its final list of candidates for the February 6, 2027 governorship elections on October 10, listing 13 contestants while excluding several aspirants following a Supreme Court judgment relating to party membership and registration records.

Among those omitted were former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Pantami, the PDP governorship candidate in Gombe State, and the party’s candidate in Ogun State, Oladipupo Adebutu.

Others affected included the NDC candidate in Kano State, Aminu Gwarzo; former Senator Danjuma Tella La’ah in Kaduna State; and the Social Democratic Party candidate in Benue State, Professor Sebastine Hon (SAN).

In a statement issued on October 13, INEC said some candidates were excluded because their political parties failed to submit their membership registers as required by law.

The commission cited Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which provides a 14-day window for political parties that believe their candidates were wrongly excluded to notify the commission after publication of the list. The deadline is October 24, 2026.

Jungudo said the PDP leadership and legal teams representing affected candidates had contacted INEC but had yet to make progress.

“We are still engaging them, but there is a tendency, a likelihood, that we may end up in litigation. As of last week Friday, there was no development. There is nothing forthcoming. There is no headway and no development,” he told *The Punch*.

He said the party would allow the statutory period to run its course before deciding whether to approach the courts.

“If nothing comes out of it, then we will have no option other than to explore legal remedies,” Jungudo added.

He disclosed that Pantami’s lawyers had also written to INEC, while expressing hope that the commission would resolve the matter before the deadline.

Similarly, the NDC said it was prepared to pursue further legal remedies if INEC failed to address the omission of its candidates.

Director said the party had submitted letters to the commission and received acknowledgements but had yet to receive a substantive response.

“We have written to the commission, and they have received and acknowledged our letters. We have communicated with them as required by law, but, as of now, they are yet to respond to our letters,” he said.

He expressed hope that INEC would respond before October 24, warning that the party would take other lawful steps if the issue remained unresolved.

“But if it fails to address the omission of our candidates from the list, we will, as a law-abiding party, take other lawful steps to ensure that the right thing is done,” he added.

The dispute