Cautions electoral body against manipulation by politicians

Pro-democracy group, Campaign for Democracy (CD), has raised concerns over the omissionm of some political parties’ candidates from the list of candidates to contest in the 2027 general elections, particularly some governorship candidates.

The group warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against manipulation by desperate politicians, saying that any threat to what it described as “political pluralism and participatory democracy” would be resisted.

In a statement, signed by its President, Ifeanyi Odili, and released yesterday, the group wondered how the candidates’ names were excluded from the final list without any immediate explanation, and when INEC, in its earlier list made available to the public on August 29, 2026, had cleared and published them.

The statement made particular reference to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Gombe State, Isa Pantami; the party’s governorship candidate in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, and his deputy, Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo.

The Campaign for Democracy said the development was particularly disturbing in Ogun State, where citizens had witnessed repeated boasts and triumphalism by members of the All Progressives Congress in the state that the PDP governorship candidate would be excluded from the final list.

“The timing of the omissions was even more disturbing, and this was where we became concerned and alarmed. A particular instance was that of Ogun State, where the state’s citizens had witnessed repeated claims and apparent triumphalism by elements within the All Progressives Congress (APC) and their supporters that the PDP governorship candidate would be disqualified from participating in the forthcoming election.

“As if to validate that boast, INEC published a list that excluded both PDP candidates without stating the reason for their omission,” the statement said.