2027: Electoral Commission Unveils Lineup of Contenders, Notably Omitting Jonathan, Nwoko, and Goje

The Independent National Electoral Commission has finally unveiled the comprehensive list of candidates for the 2027 general elections, thereby bringing an end to months of intense political anticipation on Saturday.

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This list notably excludes several prominent figures, including former President Goodluck Jonathan, who was purportedly presented as a presidential candidate by the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, as well as other notable politicians.

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Other significant omissions from the list include Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North Senatorial District, former Ogun State governor Gbenga Daniel, former Gombe State governor Danjuma Goje, and Senator Garba Maidoki, representing Kebbi South.

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This development comes approximately two months after Senate President Godswill Akpabio assured lawmakers who lost their return tickets during the All Progressives Congress primaries that the party leadership was working to address grievances arising from the exercise.

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Despite the APC eventually reinstating six serving senators after reviewing petitions submitted to its Primary Election Appeal Committee, many influential politicians who had hoped to benefit from the review remained excluded from the final list forwarded to INEC, as findings have revealed.

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Ned Nwoko’s name was conspicuously missing from the list displayed at the INEC office in Asaba, with former Delta State governor Ifeanyi Okowa emerging as the party’s senatorial candidate, thereby confirming Nwoko’s earlier defeat in the APC primary election.

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In Gombe State, another political heavyweight, Danjuma Goje, lost the APC ticket to retired Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Ahmed, marking a significant shift in the state's political landscape.

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On the opposition side, former Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo secured the PDP ticket for Gombe North Senatorial District, while Senator Anthony Siyako emerged as the PDP candidate for Gombe South, as the party's candidates took shape.

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In Bauchi State, two serving federal lawmakers, namely Senator Shehu Buba and lawmaker Mansur Soro, were also absent from the final list released by INEC, indicating a change in the state's political representation.

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Findings have shown that Buba, elected on the platform of the APC, will not seek re-election after defecting to the Peoples Redemption Party, where he secured the party’s governorship ticket, marking a new political path for the lawmaker.

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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, thereby confirming his exit from the political scene.

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Last month, it was exclusively reported that the APC National Working Committee overturned the victories of several senatorial candidates and restored six serving senators following recommendations submitted by the party’s Primary Election Appeal Committee, leading to a significant overhaul.

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The review affected nine states, including Kogi, Benue, Taraba, Ondo, Abia, Niger, Kwara, Kaduna, and Ebonyi, and resulted in the reinstatement of senators SUNDAY Karimi, Emmanuel Udende, Titus Zam, Shuaibu Isa Lau, Adeniyi Adegbonmire, and Olajide Ipinsagba.

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Prince Paul Ikonne also replaced Edinburgh Uchenna Erondu as the APC candidate for Abia South, while one of the biggest surprises during the review was the reversal of former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam’s earlier victory in favour of incumbent senator Emmanuel Udende.