PDP engages INEC after Adebutu omitted from Ogun governorship list
publishers 13articles 27first reported 10 Oct, 20:00 UTCdeveloping since 11 Oct · 10 editions
The Peoples Democratic Party has opened discussions with Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission after its governorship candidates were omitted from the final lists for Ogun and Gombe states ahead of the 6 February 2027 elections.
INEC’s list, signed by commission secretary Rose Oriaran-Anthony, includes 13 governorship candidates in Ogun but excludes the PDP ticket of Oladipupo “Ladi” Adebutu and his running mate. The commission also omitted the PDP’s Gombe candidate, Isa Pantami, from a list of 16 candidates. INEC has not publicly stated the specific reasons for the omissions.
Premium Times reported that the exclusions follow a Supreme Court judgment restored provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 limiting participation in party primaries to members whose names appear in membership registers submitted to INEC within the prescribed period. Civil society groups had alleged that Adebutu’s name was absent from the PDP register filed with the commission.
Adebutu disputed that claim, saying he completed the party’s digital registration process on time, had his membership card verified and submitted the required documentation to INEC. He said INEC officials observed the primary that produced him as the PDP candidate. Adebutu alleged, without presenting evidence, that the ruling All Progressives Congress pressured INEC. The Ogun PDP also alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress pressured INEC.
PDP national spokesperson Jungudo Mohammed said the party was seeking a resolution in accordance with electoral law and urged affected candidates and supporters to remain calm while its engagement with INEC continues.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 8 with the publisher's own text; 2 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 18 h after the record first saw the story; the editor revised it.
- Publishers
- 13
- Source articles
- 27
- Given to the writer
- 8, 8 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 2
- This version written
- 18 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- revised
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and changed it before publication. Struck words were in the draft; underlined words are its corrections.
WHAT IT FLAGGED editor revise: Several details needed tightening to match the sources exactly, including the running mate’s name, the Supreme Court linkage and attribution for the unsupported-pressure allegation. - "Isa Pantami": The sources identify the omitted Gombe PDP candidate as Isa Ali Pantami or Isa Pantami in some places, but the issue is minor only if using shortened form; no action needed. - "Lateefat Sowunmi-Kolapo": Premium Times identifies Adebutu’s running mate as Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo, while The Punch identifies her as Hajia Lateefat Sowunmi-Kolapo in a separate source; the story’s specific first name for the omitted running mate is not supported by the source about the omission and conflicts with another source. - "The lists were published after a Supreme Court judgment restored provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 limiting participation in party primaries to members whose names appear in membership registers submitted to INEC within the prescribed period.": The sources say the exclusions followed the Supreme Court judgment, but do not say the lists themselves were published after the judgment as a causal or sequencing explanation in this story. - "Adebutu and the Ogun PDP also alleged, without presenting evidence, that the ruling All Progressives Congress pressured INEC.": The sources say Adebutu and the Ogun PDP alleged pressure, but the wording 'without presenting evidence' is sourced to Premium Times only for Adebutu and is not stated for the Ogun PDP allegation.
THE DRAFT AND THE CHANGES
PDP engages INEC after Adebutu omitted from Ogun governorship list
The Peoples Democratic Party has opened discussions with Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission after its governorship candidates were omitted from the final lists for Ogun and Gombe states ahead of the 6 February 2027 elections.
INEC’s list, signed by commission secretary Rose Oriaran-Anthony, includes 13 governorship candidates in Ogun but excludes the PDP ticket of Oladipupo “Ladi” Adebutu and his running mate, Lateefat Sowunmi-Kolapo.mate. The commission also omitted the PDP’s Gombe candidate, Isa Pantami, from a list of 16 candidates. INEC has not publicly stated the specific reasons for the omissions.
ThePremium listsTimes werereported publishedthat afterthe exclusions follow a Supreme Court judgment restored provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 limiting participation in party primaries to members whose names appear in membership registers submitted to INEC within the prescribed period. Civil society groups had alleged that Adebutu’s name was absent from the PDP register filed with the commission.
Adebutu disputed that claim, saying he completed the party’s digital registration process on time, had his membership card verified and submitted the required documentation to INEC. He said INEC officials observed the primary that produced him as the PDP candidate. Adebutu andalleged, without presenting evidence, that the ruling All Progressives Congress pressured INEC. The Ogun PDP also alleged, without presenting evidence,alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress pressured INEC.
PDP national spokesperson Jungudo Mohammed said the party was seeking a resolution in accordance with electoral law and urged affected candidates and supporters to remain calm while its engagement with INEC continues.
Written by a language model from the sources above, then checked by a second model that may only cut, attribute or correct. How it works →