INEC Under Fire Over Excluded Governorship Candidates… Read Full Story

BREAKING NEWS: INEC Under Fire Over Excluded Governorship Candidates as Rivers APC Candidate’s Clearance Raises Questions About Equal TreatmentThe Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is facing growing scrutiny over its final list of governorship candidates for the February 6, 2027 elections, following the exclusion of prominent opposition candidates in Gombe, Ogun and Kano states.The controversy has taken a new turn after questions emerged over why the electoral commission excluded some candidates over compliance with party membership register requirements but cleared Kingsley Chinda, the APC governorship candidate in Rivers State.The issue has raised concerns about whether INEC is applying the Electoral Act consistently across political parties.According to a report by BusinessDay published on October 19, 2026, former presidential aide and lawyer Okoi Obono-Obla has challenged the commission to explain the apparent differences in its decisions.✓WHY WERE SOME GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATES EXCLUDED?Among the prominent politicians affected by the controversy are former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Isa Ali Pantami, the PDP governorship candidate in Gombe State, and Ladi Adebutu, the PDP governorship candidate in Ogun State.The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate in Kano State, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, was also omitted from the published list.The exclusions followed a Supreme Court judgment delivered on September 24, 2026, which upheld provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 concerning political party membership registers and candidate nominations.Under Sections 77(5)–(7), political parties are required to submit their membership registers to INEC within the stipulated period and use those registers for their primaries.INEC maintained that parties that failed to comply with the requirements could not sponsor candidates in the affected elections.However, the affected parties and their supporters have questioned the decisions, with some insisting that they fulfilled the necessary requirements.✓WHY IS RIVERS STATE AT THE CENTRE OF THE CONTROVERSY?The Rivers State situation has become a major point of discussion because INEC included Kingsley Chinda as the APC governorship candidate despite questions about the timing of his party registration and defection.Reports indicate that Chinda registered with the APC on April 27, 2026, while the party conducted its governorship primary on May 21. His formal defection from the PDP to the APC was publicly announced on June 2.This sequence has prompted questions about whether his name appeared on the APC membership register submitted to INEC within the legally prescribed period and whether he satisfied the applicable eligibility requirements when the party conducted its primary.Obono-Obla argued that the commission should explain the evidence supporting its decisions in Rivers, Gombe and Ogun states.However, the dates of Chinda’s registration and public defection alone do not conclusively establish whether he was eligible or ineligible. The central issue is whether the relevant membership records and nomination procedures complied with the law.The Rivers APC has defended Chinda’s candidacy, maintaining that it is valid.✓LAWYER DEMANDS TRANSPARENCY FROM INECObono-Obla has called on INEC to provide a clear explanation of how it reached its decisions.Among the measures he advocated are:- Publishing certified copies of the membership registers used to assess the affected candidates.- Providing written reasons for excluding some candidates while clearing others facing questions about compliance.- Explaining the legal basis for each decision.- Ensuring that affected political parties can pursue the remedies available under the law.His argument is that the same legal requirements should apply to every political party, regardless of whether the candidate belongs to the APC, PDP or another political organisation.The demand comes amid wider concerns about transparency and public confidence in the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.✓WHAT HAS INEC SAID?INEC has defended its decisions by pointing to the Supreme Court judgment on the submission of party membership registers.In its October 13 clarification, the commission explained that it applied the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 after the Supreme Court upheld their constitutionality.The commission also stated that political parties that believe their candidates were wrongly omitted could notify it within 14 days of the publication of the list.INEC fixed October 24, 2026, as the deadline for the affected parties to submit their complaints.

The commission has reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, the rule of law and credible elections.The key question now is whether the records supporting the different decisions will provide satisfactory answers to the concerns being raised.✓WHAT THIS MEANS FOR THE 2027 ELECTIONSThe controversy could have serious implications for political parties preparing for the February 6, 2027 governorship elections.For the PDP in Gombe and Ogun, as well as the NDC in Kano, the immediate priority is to address the reasons for their candidates’ omission and pursue any available legal or administrative remedies.In Rivers State, the questions surrounding Chinda’s eligibility have placed additional attention on the evidence INEC relied upon when clearing him.At the heart of the dispute is a fundamental democratic principle: electoral rules should be clear, and decisions affecting candidates should be supported by verifiable evidence.INEC has the responsibility to enforce the law, but it must also be able to explain its decisions in a way that gives political parties and voters confidence in the process.As the October 24 deadline approaches, attention will remain on the commission and the steps affected parties take to challenge thebir exclusion.Do you think INEC has adequately explained why some governorship candidates were excluded while the APC candidate in Rivers State was cleared, or should the commission publish the relevant records to settle the controversy?Share your thoughts in the comments.#INEC #RiversPolitics #NigeriaPolitics #2027Elections #NaijaNews