Jigawa ADC Kicks as INEC Omits Ringim, Seven Others From Final List

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Jigawa State has protested the omission of its endorsed deputy governorship candidate, Aminu Ringim, and seven other candidates from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s final list for the 2027 general elections.

The list, published by INEC on Saturday, named Musa Ya’u Balarabe as the running mate to the party’s governorship candidate, Sabo Muhammad Nakudu, instead of Ringim, whom the state ADC leadership says was officially nominated and submitted to the commission.

The party’s Deputy State Chairman, Nuraddeen Jidawa, confirmed the omission on Sunday, saying about seven other candidates endorsed by the party were also missing from the list.

Jidawa maintained that Ringim remained the party’s duly submitted deputy governorship candidate and said the ADC would continue to engage INEC through lawful channels to address the matter.

He said the party was dissatisfied with the published list and would not accept it as the final position on its nominations while seeking clarification and possible legal redress.

The other affected candidates were reportedly contesting in seven constituencies, including Hadejia/Auyo/Kafin Hausa, Kaugama and Birnin Kudu.

Jidawa urged party members and supporters to remain calm and united as the party pursued a resolution. He also called for compliance with constitutional and electoral requirements in the handling of candidate nominations.

However, INEC’s Head of Voter Education and Publicity in Jigawa State, Adamu Sawaba, said the list displayed at the commission’s state headquarters remained the final list for the forthcoming elections.

Sawaba acknowledged that the commission had received complaints about some candidates’ names but said INEC could not unilaterally alter the published list. He advised aggrieved parties and candidates to seek redress in court, adding that the commission would comply with any valid court order.

He suggested that the dispute might be connected to provisions governing party membership registration under the Electoral Act.

The disagreement comes as political parties review INEC’s final list ahead of the 2027 elections. The commission’s position is that any challenge to the published nominations must be resolved through the courts.

The ADC’s next steps are expected to determine whether the disputed nominations will be resolved before the election process advances further.