The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has appealed to its supporters in Cross River State to stay calm after its governorship candidate was left off the list published by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
The party blamed the omission on an administrative error and said it expects the matter to be sorted out shortly.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that INEC published the final list on Saturday, with only eight parties fielding candidates for the state’s governorship election on February 6, 2027.
They are the All Progressives Congress, APC, All Peoples Party, APP, Allied Peoples Movement, APM, National Rescue Movement, NRM, Labour Party, LP, Action Alliance, AA, Action Democratic Party, ADP and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The African Democratic Congress, ADC, was also missing, even though it had earlier affirmed Dr Effiong Nyong as its candidate at a special delegates’ congress in Calabar.
INEC had earlier said parties submitted 936 governorship and deputy governorship candidates for the 28 states holding governorship elections, Cross River among them.
Also Read:Â INEC final list excludes Adebutu, Pantami
Speaking on Sunday, the NDC chairman in Cross River, Goddie Akpama, said the party had approached the relevant authorities, including its national secretariat, and was told the matter was being handled.
He expressed confidence that it would be settled within the week. “I can assure you that all this will be resolved this week; we will have our candidate back on the list,” he said.
Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act 2026 allows parties to challenge the omission of their candidates from the published list. The deadline for substituting candidates passed on September 19.
Akpama urged supporters to keep campaigning for all NDC candidates, including the governorship candidate, and to concentrate on taking the party’s message across the state.
The NDC has fielded former Anambra governor Peter Obi as its presidential candidate. The presidential and National Assembly elections hold on January 16, 2027, ahead of the governorship and state assembly polls on February 6.
NAN
