The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has updated the final lists of candidates for the 2027 governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections after reviewing complaints submitted by political parties over the nomination process.
The electoral commission said the decision followed a review of petitions received after it published the final lists of candidates on October 10, 2026.
In a press statement issued on Thursday by the Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mohammed Kudu Haruna, INEC said some complaints were upheld, while others were rejected after examining the facts and the relevant legal provisions.
According to the commission, the complaints centred on the omission of some political parties, the inclusion of candidates whose names were not in the membership registers submitted by their parties, and cases of alleged multiple nominations.
INEC said candidates and political parties whose complaints were found to have merit have now been included in the updated list.
The commission also removed some names that were wrongly published after confirming that such candidates were not listed in the membership registers submitted by their political parties.
It added that some candidates were also removed because their nominations did not meet the legal requirements guiding the electoral process.
For the governorship election, INEC said it received 69 petitions from 12 political parties across 26 states, adding that 41 petitions succeeded while 28 were dismissed.
For the State Houses of Assembly election, the commission said it received 61 petitions from 11 political parties across 11 states, with 25 petitions succeeding and 36 failing.
The commission said the affected candidates, political parties and states would be reflected in the updated list on its official website.
“Once again, the Commission assures the public of its commitment to transparency and the credibility of the electoral process,” the statement said.
The review is part of INEC’s preparations for the 2027 general election and is aimed at ensuring that only duly nominated candidates participate in the polls in line with the Electoral Act and the commission’s guidelines.
