The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved 41 petitions seeking amendments to the final list of candidates for the 2027 governorship elections, while dismissing 28 others filed by political parties across the country.
For the State Houses of Assembly elections, the commission accepted 25 petitions and rejected 36.
INEC announced the decisions in a statement on Thursday signed by the Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, following its assessment of complaints arising from the final lists of candidates published on October 10, 2026.
The commission said it received 69 petitions from 12 political parties in 26 states in connection with the governorship elections. It also recorded 61 complaints from 11 political parties across 11 states concerning the State Houses of Assembly contests.
The petitions centred on alleged omissions of political parties from the published lists, the inclusion of candidates whose names were missing from membership registers submitted by their parties, as well as cases of multiple nominations.
INEC explained that each complaint was examined against relevant documents and existing electoral laws, noting that only petitions that satisfied the legal requirements were granted.
It further disclosed that some candidates previously listed for the elections had been delisted after investigations established that their names were not included in the membership registers provided 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 latest review comes amid concerns over the exclusion of some prominent politicians from the initial list, including former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, who is the Peoples Democratic Party's governorship candidate in Gombe State.
Others affected include the PDP governorship candidate in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, and Abdulsalam Gwarzo of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, who is seeking the Kano State governorship seat.
INEC had earlier maintained that political parties were legally required to submit their membership registers, referring to a September 24, 2026, Supreme Court judgment which upheld the constitutionality of Section 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The commission said the revised information, including details of affected candidates, political parties and states, would be published on its official website.
It reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring transparency, strict compliance with electoral laws and credibility in the conduct of the 2027 general elections.
