THE EXCLUSION OF PDP CANDIDATE IN OGUN/GOMBE STATE GUBERNATORIAL RACE AND NDC CANDIDATE IN KANO STATE; THE NEW ELECTORAL ACT 2026 AND PRECEDENT FOR FUTURE ELECTION'S
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in one of it's recent publications, it was published that candidates whose name where submitted by political parties but didn't meet the provisions and requirements of the New Electoral Act 2026 will not be participating in the 2027 general election.
Nigeria’s constitutional democracy is founded upon the supremacy of the Constitution. One of the major provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 provides that political parties submit their register of members to INEC 21 days before congresses, conventions and primaries and that only members whose names appear on the register can vote and be voted for in congresses, conventions and primaries. It further states that political parties that do not submit will be ineligible to field a candidate for that election.
Many loyalists and praise singers of affected candidates have launched an internet campaign against the electoral umpire, ignoring one of the principles of Rule of Law that states that "He/She who must come to equity, must come with clean hands".
Ignorance is not an excuse in the Court of Law, one cannot violate it's own party rules and constitutional provisions on nomination of candidates, guidelines on screening and conduction of primary elections, but praying to the judges in the High Court and justice of the Supreme Court to uphold and recognize illegal act as valid action.
Many Nigerians who are not familiar with the Electoral Act 2026 and 1999 Nigeria Constitution have been labeling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as partisan, allowing their emotions to overpower their intelligence.
In Ogun State, Hon. Ladi Adebutu and running mate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Gubernatorial candidate in Nigeria, and also in Gombe state Isa Pantami have been caught in the act of violating several provisions of the New Electoral Act 2026, and will not be on the ballot for the 2027 election, according to INEC. In a counterattack on the reported omission, one of the scribes of the PDP in Ogun State have argued that Adebutu was duly registered as a member of the party with his party membership card printed, verified and submitted to INEC.
In Kano state, the gubernatorial candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) Aminu Abdussalam-Gwarzo have also been flagged for violating provisions for nominations of candidates and the requirements, an action that contravene some sections of the New Electoral Act 2026. The NDC spokesman maintained that Abdussalam-Gwarzo had fulfilled all the requirements for the election, insisting that the necessary processes had been completed within the stipulated timeframe. Another report stated that the "omission was not caused by the party, adding that INEC had attributed the development to a computer glitch and promised to correct it".
Proper preparation prevents poor performance, recent revelations have revealed some politicians to be an opportunist, jumping from party to party without studying the guiding principles and constitutions on which those political organization were founded.
Bribing your way through the party primaries for selection and imposition without meeting the necessary membership and nomination criteria will only result to efforts in futility.
In every political contest, there will be serious contenders who understood how governance works for the people, there will be some who seek to increase their popularity on social media and local community, there will be few who are looking for opportunity to use their position for negotiation to increase their bank account, and there will be jokers that will parading themselves around for titles, recognition and other paperweights politicians who are not able to deliver a single polling unit even if a polling station is fixed in their neighborhood on the day of election.
The position of INEC and judgement of the supreme Court will serve as judicial precedent and standards for resolving electoral disputes and nomination of political candidate in the nearest future.
Nigerians should not allow blind and unprepared politicians to pull their strings and manipulate them into the war of ignorance or be used as a pawn in blackmailing the Independent National Electoral Commission chaired by Professor Joash Amunpitan.
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