The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved 66 petitions challenging the final lists of candidates for the 2027 governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.
The commission disclosed this in a statement a signed by the Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mohammed Kudu Haruna on Thursday, October 29, following its review of complaints received after publishing the final lists of candidates on October 10, 2026.
According to INEC, it received 69 petitions from 12 political parties across 26 states concerning the governorship election. Of these, 41 were successful, while 28 were rejected.
For the State Houses of Assembly elections, the commission received 61 petitions from 11 political parties across 11 states. Twenty-five petitions succeeded, while 36 failed.
INEC Reviews Candidate Omissions, Wrongful Nominations
The complaints covered the omission of political parties from the final lists, the inclusion of candidates whose names were absent from their parties’ membership registers, and allegations of multiple nominations.
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INEC said it found merit in some complaints and approved the inclusion of affected candidates and political parties. However, it rejected petitions that failed to meet the required criteria.
The commission also removed names that had been wrongly published after confirming that the affected individuals were not listed in their parties’ membership registers.
In addition, some candidates were removed after their nominations were found to be inconsistent with applicable legal requirements.
Updated Candidate Lists to Be Published
INEC explained that decisions concerning State Assembly candidates sponsored by political parties were based on specific complaints and determined in line with the law and its established criteria.
The commission said the names of affected candidates, political parties and states would be reflected in an updated list on its website.
INEC reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and the credibility of the electoral process.
