2027: Pantami, Adebutu dropped as INEC releases final list of gubernatorial candidates, clears Rivers state APC's Chinda

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the final list of the 2027 governorship candidates, with the names of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship hopefuls Isa Pantami and Ladi Adebutu conspicuously absent from the list.

In a list of candidates released today, October 10, the names of Messrs Pantami and Adebutu, the PDP’s candidates for the 2027 governorship elections in Gombe and Ogun states, respectively, were missing.

The reason for the omission was not stated. Many, however, believe it is in compliance with the September 24 Supreme Court judgment declaring that only candidates whose names were in the party's membership list before the governorship primaries were conducted will be accredited as governorship candidates. The judgment invalidated all aspirants who defected to any party months after the party submitted its membership list to INEC before holding its governorship primary.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared Kingsley Chinda for the 2027 governorship election in Rivers State.

A strong ally of FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, Chinda was number 5 in the 19-man list released by the electoral commission. The former minority leader of the House of Representatives was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but ater defected to the APC just before the party's governorship primaries in the state.

There has been apprehension about his candidacy after the Supreme Court restored Sections 77(5), (6), (7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, barring parties from fielding candidates whose names were not in the membership register submitted to INEC within the stipulated time.