• Electoral Commission Publishes Final Candidate Slates for 28 States, Prompting Immediate Backlash and Legal Complaints
• Ogun PDP Accuses Ruling Party of Undue Pressure While Pantami’s Camp Urges Calm Over Missing Names
• Rulings on Party Registers Cast Legal Shadows as Camps Scramble to Validate 2027 Ballot Status

The political landscape shifted dramatically on Saturday as the Independent National Electoral Commission published the final list of candidates for the forthcoming 2027 general elections, instantly triggering widespread political protests, sharp complaints from major party structures, and swift calls for calm from affected camps.

A comprehensive review of the official documentation by The Matrix revealed that while several high-profile politicians whose nominations faced fierce legal battles successfully scaled the regulatory hurdle, prominent party frontrunners were conspicuously absent. The unexpected omissions have left major political parties scrambling to address mounting internal anxiety and determine their next legal moves across key battleground states.

Among the most high-profile casualties on the final roster are Isa Pantami, the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Gombe State, and Ladi Adebutu, the party’s flagbearer in Ogun State. Also missing from the Ogun State documentation are Adebutu’s running mate, Alhaja Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo, and the Accord Party governorship candidate, Alhaji Olaniyi Agbongboakala.

The sudden exclusions have thrown a sharp spotlight on the strict legal prerequisites governing candidate nominations, particularly following a landmark Supreme Court judgment that upheld rigorous party membership register rules under the Electoral Act. While electoral officials did not provide specific individualized explanations for every missing name, the omissions have immediately ignited fiery partisan reactions.

In Ogun State, the PDP launched a fierce complaint, accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress of mounting undue pressure on electoral authorities out of sheer panic over losing the upcoming poll. Kayode Adebayo, the state PDP publicity secretary, issued a formal statement urging members and residents to remain calm, maintaining that Adebutu had fully registered, secured his membership card, and satisfied all statutory verification requirements before the submission deadline.

Meanwhile, the situation in Gombe State generated intense shockwaves as Pantami’s name was left off the ballot despite his decisive victory in a court-ordered rerun primary. The fresh primary had been mandated by Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed of the Federal High Court following a legal challenge by party member Usman Garry. Although Pantami swept the rerun across all 11 local government areas with 2,024 votes to defeat challengers Khamisu Mailantarki and Usman Garry, his exclusion from the final INEC list left supporters in limbo.

Seeking to quell rising tensions among the grassroots, Professor Suleiman Mohammed, speaking for the Pantamiyya Movement, issued a public assurance via social media. Urging supporters to remain peaceful, Mohammed described the omission as a temporary administrative hurdle rather than a permanent defeat, expressing confidence that the mandate would be reclaimed through ongoing legal and political channels.

Conversely, the publication brought profound relief to other political actors whose candidacies had hung in the balance following the Supreme Court’s September 24 judgment restoring strict party membership rules under Sections 77 and 84 of the Electoral Act. Prominent figures who successfully navigated the scrutiny to make the final cut include Kingsley Chinda on the APC ticket in Rivers State, former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege, and former Delta State House of Assembly Speaker Victor Ochei.

As political camps across the 28 participating states digest the final architecture of the ballot ahead of the February 2027 polls, the transition from intense internal litigation to an open, high-stakes electoral battle has officially begun.