ADC in Jigawa Raises Alarm over INEC's Candidate List

The African Democratic Congress in Jigawa State is worried about the removal of its chosen deputy governorship candidate, Aminu Ringim, from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections.

Ringim’s name was not on the list released by INEC on Saturday. His name was replaced by Musa Ya’u Balarabe, even though the party says Ringim was the official running mate they submitted.

PUNCH Online found out that Ringim confirmed the omission when we called him, but he did not want to comment. He told our reporter to speak with party officials for more details.

Our reporter visited the INEC headquarters in Dutse, the state capital, on Sunday. He saw the final list posted at the commission’s state office. The list showed the ADC governorship candidate, Sabo Muhammad Nakudu, with a different running mate. The party is challenging this nomination.

We tried to get an official statement from the party’s state chairman, Sani Gumel. Unfortunately, multiple calls to him did not go through by the time we wrote this report.

But the ADC Deputy State Chairman, Nuraddeen Jidawa, confirmed Ringim’s omission during a phone interview on Sunday. Jidawa also mentioned that about seven other candidates endorsed by the party were missing from the final list.

He said, "As far as the party is concerned, Aminu Ibrahim Ringim remains the name officially submitted to INEC as running mate to its gubernatorial candidate, Sabo Muhammad Nakudu. The party doesn’t consider the released list as final. We will continue to reach out to the electoral umpire through any legal means.” Jidawa added that although the party did not oppose any of its members, the rules must be followed.

The ADC is unhappy with the candidate list released by INEC for the 2027 general elections. Jidawa called this situation a deliberate attempt to disrupt the party, not just in Jigawa State but across the country.

Jidawa promised to keep pressing the commission about the omission of the party’s endorsed deputy governorship candidate and other candidates from seven constituencies, including Hadejia/Auyo/Kafin Hausa, Kaugama, and Birnin Kudu.

He blamed INEC for the confusion and said he hoped the issue would be sorted out in court, following the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act. He urged party members, supporters, and all Nigerians to stay calm and united while they work to fix what he called wrongdoings under the current APC government.

But the Head of Department for Voter Education and Publicity at INEC Jigawa State, Adamu Sawaba, said the list posted at the commission’s office on Saturday is the final list for the 2027 general elections.

Speaking to PUNCH Online by phone on Sunday, Sawaba said, "The list we pasted yesterday (Saturday) is the final list as far as the electoral process is concerned for the coming 2027 general elections."

He said the commission has received complaints about some candidates' names. "Yes, we have heard about complaints regarding names of a few candidates vying for positions in the 2027 general elections in the state, but this list is final as INEC works are guided by law," he said.

According to him, candidates or parties that are not happy with the list should go to court. "So, any aggrieved candidates, parties, or persons regarding the list can only go to court, as the court is the final determiner of every disagreement. When the court accepts their prayers, INEC is ever ready to accept and comply with that, but we don’t have the right to change names," Sawaba stated.

He also suggested that this issue might relate to party membership registration. "The whole issue may not be unconnected with the stipulated party membership registration that is enshrined in the approved Electoral Act," the head of the department added.