The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published the final list of candidates for the 2027 Bauchi State governorship election, naming 15 candidates and their running mates while leaving four political parties off the register.
The affected parties are the Social Democratic Party (SDP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Action Alliance (AA) and Accord Party. Their candidates had reportedly been submitted to the commission earlier, but their names did not appear in the final list published on Saturday, October 10, 2026.
INEC’s publication did not provide an explanation for the omissions, leaving uncertainty over the status of the four parties’ nominations. It has not been independently established whether the exclusions resulted from electoral requirements, documentation issues or other factors.
Among the candidates included on the list is Muhammad Abdullahi Abubakar of the All Progressives Congress (APC), whose running mate is Farouk Mustapha. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will be represented by Adamu Usman Ahmed, with Alin Bababa Abdulkadir as his running mate.
Other candidates listed include Halliru Dauda Jika of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Idris Aliyu Muhammad of the Labour Party (LP), Kashim Ibrahim Muhammad of the New Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and Shehu Umar Buba of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).
The missing parties had also submitted nominees. The SDP nominated Abdullahi Yakubu, the NNPP put forward Ahmed Shuaibu, Action Alliance submitted Musa Zubairu, while Accord Party fielded Mohd Aminu Bauchin Bauchi.
The development is significant because INEC’s final candidate register provides the official reference for who is listed to contest the election. The omission could affect the parties’ preparations and has made clarification from the commission particularly important.
The 2027 Bauchi governorship election will determine who succeeds Governor Bala Mohammed. As campaigning approaches, the commission’s list and any subsequent legal or administrative developments will be closely watched by candidates, political parties and voters.
