The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved 41 petitions challenging the final list of candidates for the 2027 governorship elections while rejecting 28 others submitted by political parties across the country.
The commission also approved 25 petitions relating to candidates for the State Houses of Assembly elections, while 36 others were unsuccessful.
INEC disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday by the Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, following its review of complaints received after the publication of the final lists of governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates on October 10, 2026.
According to the commission, it received 69 petitions from 12 political parties across 26 states in respect of the governorship elections. It also received 61 petitions from 11 political parties across 11 states concerning the State Houses of Assembly elections.
The petitions bordered on the omission of political parties from the final lists, the inclusion of candidates whose names were allegedly absent from the membership registers submitted by their parties, and cases of alleged multiple nominations.
INEC said it examined the complaints alongside relevant records and applicable legal provisions, approving petitions that met the necessary requirements and rejecting those it found to be without sufficient merit.
The commission further disclosed that some candidates initially included in the final lists had been removed after it established that their names were missing from the membership registers submitted by their respective political parties.
“The Commission also approved the removal of candidates whose nominations were found to be inconsistent with the applicable legal requirements,” the statement said.
The review comes amid concerns over the exclusion of several prominent politicians from the initial candidate lists. Those affected included former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Gombe State; Ladi Adebutu, the PDP candidate in Ogun State; and Abdulsalam Gwarzo, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate in Kano State.
INEC had earlier explained that the submission of membership registers by political parties was a statutory requirement, citing a September 24, 2026, Supreme Court judgment that affirmed the constitutionality of Section 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The commission said the affected candidates, political parties and states would be reflected in an updated version of the lists to be published on its official website.
INEC reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, compliance with electoral laws and the credibility of the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
