The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has given the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) 72 hours to publish the names of five of its governorship candidates and their running mates allegedly omitted from the final list for the February 6, 2027 elections.

In a letter signed by its National Chairman, Senator Cleopas Moses Zuwoghe, and National Secretary, Barrister Ikenna Morgan Enekweizu, cited by LEADERSHIP on Wednesday , the party urged INEC to correct what it described as the omission of candidates it had validly nominated.

The letter, dated October 3, 2026, was received at the office of the INEC chairman on October 14.

The affected candidates are Abdulsalam Aminu Gwarzo, with Rabiu Mustapha as running mate, in Kano State; Odey John Upan, with Archibong Stella Charles as running mate, in Cross River State; and Laah Danfuma Tella, with Sani Bashir as running mate, in Kaduna State.

Others are Muktar Faruk Alhaji, with Ayuba Shamsudeen as running mate, in Kebbi State; and Odusina Bolaji Marie, with Adeyemni Yunus Adesina as running mate, in Ogun State.

The party, in the letter titled “Omission of Names of Our Gubernatorial and Their Deputies,” commended INEC for its efforts towards credible elections but insisted that the five candidates and their deputies should be included in the final list.

Recalled that INEC published its final list of governorship candidates on October 10, with several aspirants, including former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami; the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) Ogun State candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu; and Gwarzo, missing from the list.

The omissions have generated controversy, with affected candidates and political parties seeking explanations from the commission.

INEC has attributed some exclusions to non-compliance with statutory requirements governing political party membership registers and participation in party primaries, following a Supreme Court judgment delivered on September 24, 2026.

The judgment concerned provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 requiring political parties to submit their membership registers to the commission within the stipulated period and limiting participation in primaries to members whose names appear on the submitted registers.

The commission subsequently explained that some candidates were excluded because their parties failed to meet the applicable membership-register requirements before conducting their primaries.

The omissions have affected candidates across party lines, including PDP governorship candidates in Gombe and Ogun states.

The party also did not indicate what action it would take if the commission failed to comply with its 72-hour ultimatum.