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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved 41 petitions challenging the final candidate lists for the 2027 governorship elections, while rejecting 28 others submitted by various political parties across Nigeria.
The commission also sustained 25 petitions regarding candidates for the State Houses of Assembly elections, while turning down 36 others after administrative review.
INEC disclosed the development in an official statement issued on Thursday by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, following an evaluation of petitions received after the publication of the final governorship and state assembly candidate lists on October 10, 2026.
According to the electoral umpire, it received 69 petitions from 12 political parties across 26 states concerning the governorship race, as well as 61 petitions from 11 political parties across 11 states regarding State Houses of Assembly seats.
The petitions primarily centered on the omission of political party logos, the inclusion of candidates absent from party membership registers, and allegations of multiple nominations.
INEC explained that it scrutinized the petitions alongside statutory records and extant legal frameworks, granting approval to claims with merit and dismissing those that failed to satisfy required legal benchmarks.
The commission further verified that certain candidates previously published on the final list have been removed after confirmation that their details were omitted from the official membership registers submitted by their political parties.
“The Commission also approved the removal of candidates whose nominations were found to be inconsistent with the applicable legal requirements,” the statement read.
The comprehensive review addresses growing concerns over the initial exclusion of several prominent politicians, including 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) flagbearer in Kano State.
INEC previously emphasized that filing membership registers remains a compulsory statutory directive, citing a September 24, 2026, Supreme Court judgment that affirmed the constitutionality of Section 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The commission confirmed that all affected candidates, political parties, and state branches will be reflected in an updated list to be published on its official website, reiterating its commitment to electoral transparency and judicial compliance.
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