The names are in, and two high-profile political figures did not make the cut. Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission has released its final list of governorship candidates for the 2027 elections, and Isa Pantami and Segun Adebutu are both excluded. Tunde Chinda, however, has been cleared to run.
The exclusions trace back to a Supreme Court judgment that restored key provisions of the Electoral Act 2026. Those provisions restrict participation in party primaries to members whose names appear on membership registers submitted to INEC within the legally required period. Both Pantami and Adebutu fell on the wrong side of that rule.
With the list now final, the question on everyone's mind is how these exclusions will reshape the political landscape in their respective states ahead of 2027.
Originally published by Premium Times.