2027: We have no issue with Gwarzo, says INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it has no objection to the candidacy of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate in Kano State, Abdulsalam Gwarzo, explaining that a court order is responsible for the omission of his name from the updated list of candidates for the 2027 elections.

A senior official of the commission told Daily Trust that Gwarzo had been cleared, but his name could not be published until the final determination of an ex parte order issued by a Federal High Court in Kano on October 27.

“I thought I told you he had been cleared, subject only to the final outcome of an ex parte order by a Federal High Court in Kano on October 27 that we should not download the name of any candidate for NDC.

“In other words, we have no issue with him,” the official said.

The clarification followed checks by Daily Trust on Saturday which showed that Gwarzo and his running mate, Rabiu Mustapha, were still missing from INEC’s updated list of governorship and deputy governorship candidates.

The commission indicated “Court Order” against the NDC’s governorship and deputy governorship positions in Kano State.

The development had raised questions about the commission’s earlier decision to clear Gwarzo, after it emerged that his name was still absent from the updated list released on Saturday.

INEC had on Thursday considered petitions arising from the omission of candidates from its initial list published on October 10.

Following its review, the commission upheld 66 petitions and rejected 64 others relating to governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates across the country.

Among those cleared was former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, whose name was subsequently included as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for Gombe State.

However, the commission’s explanation suggests that Gwarzo’s continued absence from the Kano list is not a rejection of his candidacy but a consequence of the subsisting court order restraining the publication of NDC candidates’ names.

The legal restriction is therefore expected to remain a factor in the publication of the party’s candidates pending the final outcome of the court proceedings

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