The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday released the final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections, bringing months of political uncertainty to an end.
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Several prominent politicians were absent from the list, including former President Goodluck Jonathan, whom the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had claimed to have nominated as its presidential candidate.
Also omitted were Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North), former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel (Ogun East), former Gombe State Governor Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central), and Senator Garba Maidoki (Kebbi South).
The development comes two months after Senate President Godswill Akpabio assured lawmakers who lost their return tickets during the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries that the party leadership was working to resolve grievances arising from the exercise.
However, findings by Sunday PUNCH indicate that although the APC reinstated six serving senators after reviewing petitions submitted to its Primary Election Appeal Committee, several influential politicians who had hoped to benefit from the review were still excluded from the final list submitted to INEC.
In Delta State, Senator Ned Nwoko’s name was absent from the list displayed at the INEC office in Asaba, while former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa emerged as the APC’s senatorial candidate for Delta North, confirming Nwoko’s earlier defeat in the party’s primary election.
In Gombe State, former Governor Danjuma Goje also failed to secure the APC ticket, which went to retired Deputy Commissioner of Police Mohammed Ahmed.
On the PDP platform, former Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo clinched the party’s ticket for Gombe North Senatorial District, while Senator Anthony Siyako emerged as the PDP candidate for Gombe South.
In Bauchi State, two serving federal lawmakers were also missing from the final list released by INEC. They are Senator Shehu Buba, representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, and Mansur Soro, representing Darazo/Ganjuwa Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
According to Sunday PUNCH, Senator Buba, who was elected on the APC platform, will not seek re-election after defecting to the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), where he secured the party’s governorship ticket.
Mansur Soro had earlier announced that he would neither contest the Bauchi Central Senatorial seat nor seek another term in the House of Representatives.
Last month, Sunday PUNCH exclusively reported that the APC National Working Committee overturned the victories of several senatorial candidates and reinstated six serving senators following recommendations by the party’s Primary Election Appeal Committee.
The review affected nine states—Kogi, Benue, Taraba, Ondo, Abia, Niger, Kwara, Kaduna and Ebonyi.
The reinstated senators are Sunday Karimi, Emmanuel Udende, Titus Zam, Shuaibu Isa Lau, Adeniyi Adegbonmire and Olajide Ipinsagba.
In Abia State, Prince Paul Ikonne replaced Edinburgh Uchenna Erondu as the APC candidate for Abia South Senatorial District.
One of the most notable reversals during the review was the decision to overturn former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam’s earlier victory and restore the ticket to the incumbent senator, Emmanuel Udende.
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