The Independent National Electoral Commission on Saturday released the final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections, ending months of political suspense.

Several high-profile politicians, including former President Goodluck Jonathan, whom the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party claimed to have presented to INEC as its presidential candidate, did not make the list.

Also missing from the list were the senator representing Delta North Senatorial District, Ned Nwoko; former Ogun State governor, Gbenga Daniel (Ogun East); former Gombe State governor, Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central); and the senator representing Kebbi South, Garba Maidoki.

The development comes two months after the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, assured lawmakers who lost their return tickets during the All Progressives Congress primaries that the party leadership was working to address grievances arising from the exercise.

However, findings showed that although the APC eventually reinstated six serving senators after reviewing petitions submitted to its Primary Election Appeal Committee, many influential politicians who had hoped to benefit from the review remained excluded from the final list forwarded to INEC.

Nwoko’s name was missing from the list displayed at the INEC office in Asaba, with former Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, emerging as the party’s senatorial candidate.

The development confirmed Nwoko’s earlier defeat in the APC primary election.

In Gombe State, another political heavyweight, Goje, also lost the APC ticket to retired Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Ahmed.

On the opposition side, former Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo secured the PDP ticket for Gombe North Senatorial District, while Senator Anthony Siyako emerged as the PDP candidate for Gombe South.

In Bauchi State, two serving federal lawmakers were also absent from the final list released by INEC.

The affected lawmakers are the senator representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, Shehu Buba, and the lawmaker representing Darazo/Ganjuwa Federal Constituency, Mansur Soro.

Findings showed that Buba, elected on the platform of the APC, will not seek re-election after defecting to the Peoples Redemption Party, where he secured the party’s governorship ticket.

Soro had earlier announced that he would not contest either the Bauchi Central Senatorial seat or seek another term in the House of Representatives.

Last month, Sunday PUNCH exclusively reported that the APC National Working Committee overturned the victories of several senatorial candidates and restored six serving senators following recommendations submitted by the party’s Primary Election Appeal Committee.

The review affected nine states, including Kogi, Benue, Taraba, Ondo, Abia, Niger, Kwara, Kaduna and Ebonyi.

The reinstated lawmakers were senators SUNDAY Karimi, Emmanuel Udende, Titus Zam, Shuaibu Isa Lau, Adeniyi Adegbonmire and Olajide Ipinsagba.

Prince Paul Ikonne also replaced Edinburgh Uchenna Erondu as the APC candidate for Abia South.

One of the biggest surprises during the review was the reversal of former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam’s earlier victory in favour of incumbent senator Emmanuel Udende. (Text, excluding headline: Sunday PUNCH)