…drops others over irregularities
By Ime Silas
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has reviewed the final lists of candidates for the 2027 governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections and approved major adjustments following complaints by political parties.
The Commission disclosed this in a press statement issued on Thursday, October 29, 2026, by its Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, IVEC, Mohammed Kudu Haruna.
According to INEC, the review followed its earlier press statement of October 13, 2026, and the publication of the final lists of governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates on October 10, 2026.
The electoral body said it received a flood of petitions from political parties and candidates alleging omission of parties, wrongful inclusion of candidates whose names were not contained in the membership registers submitted by their political parties, and cases of alleged multiple nominations.
INEC said after a thorough review of the complaints, relevant records and applicable legal provisions, it found merit in some of the representations and approved the inclusion of affected candidates and their political parties, while complaints found to be without merit were declined.
The Commission also confirmed that some names that were wrongfully published in the final list have now been removed after verifying that their names were not on the membership registers submitted by their parties.
In addition, candidates whose nominations were found to be inconsistent with applicable legal requirements have been delisted.
INEC explained that decisions affecting State Houses of Assembly candidates sponsored by political parties were informed by specific complaints received and were determined strictly in accordance with the law and the Commission’s established criteria.
Giving a breakdown of the review, the Commission said a total of 69 petitions were received from 12 political parties across 26 states for the governorship election. Out of that number, 41 petitions succeeded while 28 failed.
Similarly, for the State Houses of Assembly elections, 61 petitions were received from 11 political parties across 11 states. Twenty-five of the petitions succeeded while 36 failed.
In effect, a total of 66 candidates were reinstated across both categories, while 64 complaints were dismissed for lacking merit.
INEC said the affected candidates, political parties and states will be reflected in the updated list that will be published on its official website.
The Commission reassured political parties, candidates and the general public of its commitment to transparency and credibility of the electoral process, stressing that the review was carried out in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act and its guidelines for candidate nomination.
The review comes less than four months to the 2027 general elections, with political parties intensifying preparations and litigations over candidate lists increasing across the country.
INEC had earlier published the final lists on October 10, but the publication triggered protests and petitions from parties alleging exclusion and manipulation of registers.
The latest decision is expected to trigger fresh realignments in several states where governorship and assembly candidates were affected, particularly in states where multiple factions of political parties had submitted parallel candidate lists.
Stakeholders have continued to call on the Commission to maintain transparency and ensure strict compliance with the membership register provision, which was introduced to curb the imposition of candidates who are not bona fide members of political parties.
INEC said it will continue to update the public as the electoral process progresses.