The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections, bringing months of political uncertainty to an end. The list, made public on Saturday, leaves out several well-known politicians across different political parties after the completion of party primaries and internal reviews.
Among those absent is former President Goodluck Jonathan, whose name had earlier been submitted to INEC by the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as its presidential candidate. Also missing are Delta North Senator Ned Nwoko, former Gombe State Governor Danjuma Goje, former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel, and Kebbi South Senator Garba Maidoki.
The publication of the final list comes weeks after Senate President Godswill Akpabio assured lawmakers who failed to secure return tickets during the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries that the party was working to resolve disputes arising from the exercise.
Despite the party’s review process, several influential politicians were not restored to the final list submitted to INEC. Although the APC reinstated six serving senators after considering petitions presented to its Primary Election Appeal Committee, many others remained excluded.
In Delta State, the final list confirmed that Ned Nwoko did not secure the APC senatorial ticket, with former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa emerging as the party’s candidate for Delta North Senatorial District.
A similar outcome was recorded in Gombe State, where former Governor Danjuma Goje failed to return as the APC candidate after retired Deputy Commissioner of Police Mohammed Ahmed secured the party’s ticket. On the PDP side, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo emerged as the candidate for Gombe North Senatorial District, while Anthony Siyako picked the party’s ticket for Gombe South.
The final list also excluded two serving federal lawmakers from Bauchi State. They are Senator Shehu Buba of Bauchi South and Mansur Soro, who represents Darazo/Ganjuwa Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
Senator Buba, who was elected on the APC platform, is no longer seeking another Senate term after moving to the Peoples Redemption Party, where he obtained the party’s governorship ticket. Mansur Soro had earlier announced that he would not contest either the Bauchi Central Senatorial seat or seek another term in the House of Representatives.
The APC’s review of its primary elections affected nine states, including Kogi, Benue, Taraba, Ondo, Abia, Niger, Kwara, Kaduna and Ebonyi. Following the review, six serving senators regained their tickets. They are Sunday Karimi, Emmanuel Udende, Titus Zam, Shuaibu Isa Lau, Adeniyi Adegbonmire and Olajide Ipinsagba.
The review also produced changes in Abia State, where Prince Paul Ikonne replaced Edinburgh Uchenna Erondu as the APC candidate for Abia South. In Benue State, the party reversed the earlier outcome of the primary election, allowing incumbent Senator Emmanuel Udende to replace former Governor Gabriel Suswam as its candidate for the senatorial contest.