The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has made public the final list of candidates for the upcoming 2027 general elections, highlighting the exclusion of several prominent political figures.
Among those absent is Goodluck Jonathan, former President of Nigeria. This omission occurs despite assertions from a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Tanimu Turaki, claiming they had submitted Jonathan’s name as their presidential candidate.
Other notable figures missing from the list include Senator Ned Nwoko from Delta North, former Gombe State Governor Danjuma Goje from Gombe Central, and several others. The publication follows a two-month period after Senate President Godswill Akpabio had assured lawmakers from the All Progressives Congress (APC) that the party was addressing grievances stemming from primary elections.
While the APC reinstated six serving senators post-review of submitted petitions, several influential candidates, including Nwoko, were not restored in time for the final list. Nwoko’s name was not featured among the senatorial candidates at INEC’s office in Asaba, confirming his defeat in the party primary at the hands of former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who now carries the APC ticket for Delta North.
In Gombe, Goje was unable to secure the APC nomination, which was awarded to retired Deputy Commissioner of Police Mohammed Ahmed. Additionally, the PDP secured nominations for Gombe North with former Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo and for Gombe South with Senator Anthony Siyako.
Also conspicuously absent from the final candidate list were Senator Shehu Buba and House Representative Mansur Soro from Bauchi State. Buba, who was previously elected through the APC, will not pursue re-election after joining the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP). Soro had previously announced his decision to step away from contesting any seat.
Recent reviews by the APC National Working Committee resulted in the reinstatement of several senators based on recommendations from the party’s Primary Election Appeal Committee, impacting primaries in multiple states.
Meanwhile, the PDP welcomed the release of the candidate names by INEC, describing it as evidence that the party had successfully fielded a presidential candidate amid ongoing speculation and misinformation. The party’s candidate is Senator Prof. Sandy Ojang Onor, with Alhaji Babangida Umar as his running mate, alongside its nominees for national assembly positions.
The PDP stated that this development counters earlier claims that it would struggle to present a presidential candidate, emphasizing due process and the restoration of confidence in its leadership as it prepares for the elections.
