INEC Reviews Complaints, Approves Changes to 2027 Governorship, Assembly Candidates’ Lists
Oru LeonardÂ
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reviewed complaints arising from the publication of the final lists of candidates for the 2027 governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections, approving some petitions while rejecting others.
In a statement issued on Thursday, October 29, 2026, the Commission said the review followed its earlier press statement of October 13, 2026, and concerned complaints received after the final lists were published on October 10, 2026.
According to INEC, the complaints centred on the exclusion of some political parties, the inclusion of candidates whose names were missing from their parties’ membership registers, and allegations of multiple nominations.
The Commission explained that it examined the complaints alongside relevant records and applicable legal provisions before reaching its decisions.
It said some petitions were upheld, leading to the inclusion of affected candidates and political parties, while others were rejected for lacking sufficient merit.
INEC also approved the removal of candidates whose names had been wrongly published after verification showed that they were absent from the membership registers submitted by their respective political parties.
Similarly, candidates whose nominations failed to meet the applicable legal requirements were removed from the lists. The Commission noted that decisions concerning State Houses of Assembly candidates were based on specific complaints and determined in line with the law and its established criteria.
Providing a breakdown of the petitions, INEC disclosed that 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 were upheld, while 36 were unsuccessful.
The Commission said the names of affected candidates, political parties and states would be reflected in the updated lists to be published on its official website.
INEC reiterated its commitment to transparency, fairness and the credibility of the electoral process, assuring political parties, candidates and the public that its decisions were guided by applicable laws and established procedures.
The statement was signed by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), on October 29, 2026.
