2027: INEC grants provisional clearance to Pantami, Gwarzo – Source
By Omeiza Ajayi and Ben Ngwakwe
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) indicated on Thursday night that it may have provisionally cleared former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, and Abdulsalam Gwarzo, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate in Kano State, to contest the 2027 elections.
This provisional clearance is dependent upon the results of outstanding court cases, reliable sources disclosed.
Supporters of Pantami celebrated the announcement in several key areas of Gombe on Thursday evening.
INEC officials did not immediately respond to inquiries from Vanguard regarding this development. However, a source familiar with the matter stated that the decisions were made during a commission meeting that addressed complaints from political parties and candidates whose names were excluded from the preliminary lists for the 2027 elections.
According to the source, while the commission had no objections to Pantami’s and Gwarzo’s candidacies, the pending legal issues could still influence the final decisions.
The announcement follows INEC’s previous decision to remove Pantami from the final list of governorship candidates in Gombe State, despite his inclusion on a provisional list released on August 29.
Pantami became the PDP candidate after leaving the All Progressives Congress (APC) on May 19. His selection was contested in court by another aspirant, Ahmed Mailantarki, which led to a Federal High Court ruling that nullified the initial election and ordered a new primary, which Pantami ultimately won.
A significant challenge for Pantami arose from a Supreme Court ruling issued on September 24, which reinstated Sections 77(5), (6), (7), and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026. These provisions prohibit parties from fielding candidates whose names were not included in the membership register submitted to INEC within the required timeframe.
Mohammed Haruna, an INEC National Commissioner, previously indicated that in accordance with the Supreme Court’s decision, certain parties would be unable to nominate candidates for the 2027 elections.
In a related matter, INEC dismissed a petition from Ladi Adebutu, the PDP governorship candidate in Ogun State, who requested a review of his exclusion from the list of candidates.
