INEC Releases Final Candidates of List for 2027, Jonathan, Nwoko, Goje Not Included

Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections, confirming the absence of several high-profile politicians. Former President Goodluck Jonathan is notably missing from the presidential ballot, despite claims from a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that his name had been submitted.

Several other prominent figures also failed to make the final list. Senator Ned Nwoko, who sought a senatorial seat in Delta North, and former Gombe State Governor Danjuma Goje, a contender for Gombe Central, are among those excluded. Former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel and Senator Garba Maidoki from Kebbi South also did not secure spots on the list.

The publication of INEC's final list comes after assurances from Senate President Godswill Akpabio that grievances from the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries would be addressed. While the APC leadership did reinstate six serving senators after reviewing petitions, many influential politicians who lost in the primaries remain excluded from the electoral contest.

In Delta State, Nwoko's absence from the senatorial list means former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa will likely be the APC candidate for Delta North. Similarly, in Gombe State, Mohammed Ahmed, a retired Deputy Commissioner of Police, secured the APC ticket for Gombe North, with former Governor Danjuma Goje not making the cut. The PDP has its own set of candidates, with former Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo winning the Gombe North senatorial ticket and Senator Anthony Siyako securing the Gombe South ticket.