The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved 66 petitions and rejected 64 others following a review of complaints against the final lists of governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates for the 2027 general elections.
The commission said the review resulted in the inclusion of some candidates and political parties previously omitted from the lists, as well as the removal of individuals whose nominations failed to satisfy the applicable legal requirements.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), said the petitions arose from complaints received after the publication of the final candidates’ lists on October 10, 2026.
The complaints centred on the omission of political parties, the inclusion of candidates whose names were absent from their parties’ membership registers and allegations of multiple nominations.
According to the commission, 69 petitions were received from 12 political parties across 26 states concerning governorship candidates. Of these, 41 were successful, while 28 were rejected.
For the State Houses of Assembly elections, INEC received 61 petitions from 11 political parties across 11 states. Twenty-five petitions were upheld, while 36 were unsuccessful.
The commission explained that it examined the complaints alongside relevant records and applicable legal provisions before determining which representations had merit.
It said candidates and political parties whose complaints were successful would be included in the updated lists, while names wrongly published despite being absent from the relevant party membership registers would be removed.
INEC also approved the removal of candidates whose nominations were found to be inconsistent with legal requirements. It noted that decisions involving State Houses of Assembly candidates were based on specific complaints and determined in accordance with the law and its established criteria.
The affected candidates, political parties and states will be reflected in the revised lists to be published on the commission’s website.
The review follows an earlier statement issued by INEC on October 13, 2026, after the publication of the final lists of governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates.
The commission reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and the credibility of the electoral process, assuring political parties, candidates and the public that complaints were assessed in line with the relevant legal provisions.