The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has excluded Ladi Adebutu, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ogun State, and his running mate from its final list of candidates for the 6 February 2027 governorship election.
According to the INEC’s final list of governorship candidates reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES, the exclusion of Mr Adebutu leaves the PDP governorship ticket absent from the 13 candidates listed by the commission for the election, raising questions about the party’s participation in the contest.
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The list, signed by INEC Secretary Rose Oriaran-Anthony, contains candidates from 13 political parties. The list also includes African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate, Lawal Adebisi, and his running mate, Olutayo Florence, following court order.
What could be the the problem
The development comes amid questions about the PDP candidate’s eligibility to run for next year’s elections, following allegations by civil society groups that his name was missing from the party’s membership register submitted to INEC.
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The two civil society groups, Ogun Democratic Accountability Forum be 23rd and Elections Integrity Watch had raised concerns about Mr Adebutu’s absence from the party’s register and demanded for his disqualification in the governorship election race.
Elections Integrity Watch said a certified true copy of the PDP membership register it obtained from INEC did not contain Mr Adebutu’s name, raising questions about the documentation supporting his candidacy.
Although INEC had yet to publicly explain the omission of Mr Adebutu and his running mate as of the time of filing this report.
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The Electoral Act 2026 outlines a procedure for political parties whose candidates’ names are missing from INEC’s published list.
Section 32(1) requires the commission to publish the names and addresses of all candidates standing nominated at least 60 days before an election.
Under Section 32(2), a registered political party that discovers its candidate’s name is missing must notify INEC in writing within 14 days of publication. The notification must be signed by the party’s national chairman and secretary and supported by an affidavit.
The provisions establish a formal process for notifying INEC about an omitted candidate. However, the precise implications for the PDP ticket depends on the circumstances surrounding the omission and any subsequent action by the party or the commission.
Although the party had not publicly indicated if it had formally notified INEC of the omission or whether it intended to challenge the published list.
READ ALSO: INEC lists 16 candidates for Gombe governorship race, omits PDP’s Pantami
Other candidates on the list
Apart from the ADC and the All Progressives Congress (APC), whose candidate is Adeola Olamilekan, a serving Nigerian senator, the published list includes candidates from several other parties.
They are Okewole Shuaib of Party A; Awofala Awoniyi of the Action Alliance (AA); Anifowose Kayode of the Action Democratic Party (ADP); Babajide Mathew of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM); and Layi Halima of the Action Peoples Party (APP).
Others are Adenuga Dreher of the Boot Party (BP); Dasaolu Olamilekan of the National Democratic Party (NDP); Akinbola Hammed of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP); Fayoyin Ezekiel of the National Rescue Movement (NRM); Ola Willams of the Social Democratic Party (SDP); and Johnson Cyrus of the Young Progressives Party (YPP).
Ogun State is among the 28 states scheduled to hold governorship elections on 6 February 2027, alongside elections into their respective Houses of Assembly.
INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan had earlier announced that 21 of the country’s 22 registered political parties nominated 936 governorship and deputy governorship candidates across the 28 states holding elections in 2027. The parties also nominated 9,692 candidates for State Houses of Assembly elections.
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