12, October 2026
The stage is set for a major contest in Delta Central Senatorial District as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published its final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections.
In the list released on Saturday, October 11, 2026, former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, was confirmed as the candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for Delta Central, setting up a direct contest with the incumbent, Senator Ede Dafinone.
The publication followed heightened scrutiny over candidate eligibility after the Supreme Court judgment of September 24, 2026, which restored Sections 77(5)-(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026.
The provisions require political parties to submit their membership registers to INEC at least 21 days before primaries, and that only members on those registers are eligible to vote or be voted for at primaries.
Omo-Agege recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the NDC following internal crisis in the Delta State chapter of the APC. Questions had been raised in some quarters about whether he met the membership timeline requirement.
According to a report by Daily Trust on Sunday, Omo-Agege is among several prominent politicians who were cleared in the final list. Others listed include former Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, now Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate for Nasarawa; former House Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda, now APC governorship candidate for Rivers; Senator Shehu Buba Umar, now Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) candidate in Bauchi; Senator Saliu Mustapha in Kwara; and former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Victor Ochei, NDC candidate for Delta North.
INEC’s National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Mohammed Haruna, had earlier said on Trust TV’s Daily Politics programme that candidates who failed to meet the membership requirements risked disqualification.
Some other aspirants did not make the final list, including former Minister of Communications, Isa Pantami in Gombe, Ladi Adebutu in Ogun and Aminu Gwarzo in Kano, according to the same report.
With INEC’s publication, the 2027 Delta Central race is now expected to be one of the most closely watched contests in Delta State.
