2027: INEC omits PDP governorship candidate Adebutu from Ogun final list

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has excluded the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Oladipupo Adebutu, and his running mate from its final list of candidates for the February 6, 2027, governorship election.

The commission released the list on Saturday evening, featuring 13 governorship candidates representing 13 political parties in the state.

However, Adebutu and his deputy were absent from the published list.

INEC has not provided an explanation for their omission in the information available.

The reason for the omission was not immediately clear as of the time of filing this report.

The final list indicated that the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Lawal Jimi Adebisi, and his running mate, Olutayo Florence Funlola Folake, were included pursuant to a court order.

The candidates listed for the Ogun governorship election are Okewole Shuaib Olaniyi of the Accord Party; Awofala Awolola Awoniyi of the Action Alliance (AA); Lawal Jimi Adebisi of the ADC; Anifowose John Kayode of the Action Democratic Party (ADP); and Adeola Solomon Olamilekan of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Others are Babajide Rotimi Mathew of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM); Layi Labode Halima of the Action Peoples Party (APP); Adenuga Adekunle Dreher of the Boot Party (BP); Dasaolu Oluwaseyi Olamilekan of the National Democratic Party (NDP); and Akinbola Hammed Rotham of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

The remaining candidates are Fayoyin Olujobi Ezekiel of the National Rescue Movement (NRM); Ola Willams Adeyinka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP); and Johnson Cyrus Oluwaseun of the Young Progressives Party (YPP).

The omission comes as political parties prepare for the February 6, 2027, governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.

Under Section 32(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, INEC is required to publish the names and addresses of nominated candidates at least 60 days before an election.

Section 32(2) also outlines a procedure for a registered political party to notify the commission if the name of its nominated candidate is missing from the published list.

The provision requires such notification to be made in writing, signed by the party’s national chairman and national secretary, and accompanied by an affidavit within 14 days of the publication.

The statutory procedure provides a formal avenue for a political party to draw the commission’s attention to the omission of its candidate and seek appropriate action in accordance with the law.

INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan had earlier disclosed that 21 of Nigeria’s 22 registered political parties nominated a total of 936 governorship and deputy governorship candidates across the 28 states scheduled to hold governorship elections in 2027.

The parties also nominated 9,692 candidates for the State Houses of Assembly elections.

Ogun State is among the states scheduled to elect a new governor on February 6, 2027, alongside elections into the state legislature.

Adebutu’s exclusion from the final list leaves questions over the PDP’s participation in the Ogun governorship race, although the Electoral Act provides a procedure through which the party may formally raise the issue with INEC.

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