Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The national leadership of the Social Democratic Party has said it has commenced the process of engaging the Independent National Electoral Commission over the omission of its governorship candidates from the final list of candidates published for the 2027 general elections. The party said it was exploring the 14-day window provided by the Electoral Act 2026 to correct what it described as errors in the commission's publication, in which the names of its candidates in Oyo, Bauchi, Benue and Sokoto states were missing.
The party's national spokesperson, Araba Rufus Ayenigba, disclosed this on Sunday in Abuja, saying the omission had caused worry among the party's supporters in the affected states. "This unexpected error, undeniably, has elicited worries amongst our supporters in the states affected," he said. He said the affected candidates had been assured that the error was being addressed with the seriousness it deserved, and that there were high assurances that the corrections would be promptly effected by the commission. He urged the candidates to reassure their supporters that the issues were being addressed and to continue to maintain the momentum of their campaign activities in the affected states while the errors were being corrected.
The omission was not limited to the four governorship candidates. Ayenigba said candidates' names were also missing in a number of state constituencies, extending the scope of the problem beyond the governorship races. The party did not provide a full breakdown of the affected state constituencies, but the disclosure suggested that the errors were more widespread than initially indicated. The SDP's response has been coordinated, with the national leadership taking the lead in engaging the commission while urging candidates and supporters to remain calm. The party's decision to explore the 14-day window under the Electoral Act 2026 reflects a recognition that time is limited and that any correction must be completed before the commission finalises the list of candidates for the February 6, 2027 governorship election.
The affected candidates have also been speaking publicly about the omission. In Benue State, the SDP governorship candidate, Professor Sebastine Hon, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, urged his supporters not to panic, describing the omission as an error that would be corrected. "I believe this is just a minor error. It will be corrected," he said. He disclosed that he was working with the party's headquarters and had already engaged INEC on what he described as a minor error, and that he had received assurances that it was a mistake that would be corrected as soon as possible. He also pointed out that the names of SDP candidates contesting for the various state constituencies had all been published, and that over 95 per cent of them did their primaries on the same day, at the same venue and time. He said he was the sole aspirant of the party for the office of governor and that his name had been uploaded on the INEC portal.
In Oyo State, the SDP governorship candidate, Mogaji Olusegun Agboola, attributed the omission of his name from the list to a clerical error. He acknowledged that the omission could affect the morale of party members and supporters but maintained that it would not shake his confidence or determination to contest the election. "It is a minor error with a big impact on morale, but not one that will knock our confidence," he said. He urged party members and supporters across Oyo State not to be discouraged or confused by the absence of his name from the INEC list, insisting that the party remained firmly in the governorship race. "We are still in the race," he declared, calling on supporters to remain steadfast and maintain confidence in the party while efforts continued to resolve the matter.
The omission was not confined to the SDP. In Bauchi State, INEC's final list of 15 governorship candidates excluded the candidates of four political parties: the SDP, the New Nigeria Peoples Party, the Action Alliance and the Accord Party. The four parties had earlier submitted the names of their candidates and running mates to the commission. The SDP had nominated Abdullahi Yakubu as its governorship candidate, with Yahaya Abubakar Maikobi as his running mate; the NNPP submitted Ahmed Shuaibu and Ismail Zailani; the AA nominated Musa Zubairu and Shehu Buba; and the Accord Party fielded Mohd Aminu Bauchin Bauchi, with Daniel Meshack as running mate. However, their names were absent from the final list published by the commission on Saturday, October 10, 2026. The commission did not provide reasons for excluding the four parties, leaving the status of their governorship nominations and participation in the forthcoming election unclear.
The political context of the omission is significant. The 2027 general elections are less than four months away, with the governorship and state assembly elections scheduled for February 6, 2027. The publication of the final list of candidates is a critical milestone in the electoral calendar, and any omission can have serious consequences for the parties and candidates affected. The SDP's decision to engage INEC rather than resort to litigation reflects a preference for resolving the matter through administrative channels, but the 14-day window under the Electoral Act 2026 leaves limited room for manoeuvre. If the corrections are not made within that period, the affected candidates could be excluded from the ballot entirely, a prospect that would have significant implications for the competitiveness of the governorship races in the four states.
For the SDP, the omission represents a setback in its preparations for the 2027 elections, particularly as the party seeks to position itself as a credible alternative to the major parties. For the affected candidates, the uncertainty is a source of anxiety, but their public statements have been measured, expressing confidence that INEC will correct the errors. For INEC, the omission raises questions about the accuracy and completeness of its candidate management processes, and the commission will be under pressure to resolve the matter swiftly to avoid further controversy. The coming days will determine whether the corrections are made within the statutory window and whether the SDP's candidates appear on the final ballot for the 2027 governorship elections.
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