INEC Breaks Silence on Missing NDC Candidate Gwarzo’s Name From Kano Governorship List

According to a report by Nigerian Tribune on Sunday 1 November 2026, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained why the name of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate in Kano State, Abdulsalam Gwarzo, is missing from its updated list of candidates for the 2027 governorship election.

The commission clarified that Gwarzo’s omission has nothing to do with his eligibility or the rejection of his candidacy, but is a result of a subsisting court order restraining it from publishing the names of candidates presented by the NDC.

A senior INEC official disclosed that the commission had already cleared Gwarzo to contest the election but could not officially publish his name until the Federal High Court in Kano determines a legal application before it.

The court order, issued on October 27, reportedly directed INEC not to publish the names of candidates submitted by the NDC pending the determination of the matter.

The official explained that Gwarzo had successfully passed the commission’s screening process, stressing that the only outstanding issue was the court’s directive.

“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,” the official stated.

The clarification followed growing questions over the continued absence of Gwarzo and his running mate, Rabiu Mustapha, from INEC’s updated list of governorship and deputy governorship candidates.

In the document released by the electoral commission, the positions reserved for the NDC in Kano State were marked “Court Order”, indicating that the commission’s decision was linked to the ongoing legal proceedings.

The development had generated uncertainty about the status of Gwarzo’s candidacy, particularly after INEC announced the outcome of petitions challenging the omission of several candidates from its initial list published on October 10.

On Thursday, the commission disclosed that it had upheld 66 petitions while rejecting 64 others involving governorship and State House of Assembly candidates across the country.

Among those whose candidacies were subsequently recognised was former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, whose name was included in the updated list as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Gombe State.

However, INEC’s latest explanation makes clear that Gwarzo’s situation is different from those whose petitions were rejected during the review process.

The commission maintained that its inability to publish the NDC candidate’s name is strictly connected to the court’s directive, rather than any administrative decision against his candidacy.

Consequently, the appearance of Abdulsalam Gwarzo and his running mate on the official list will depend on the outcome of the proceedings before the Federal High Court in Kano.

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