The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved 41 petitions challenging the final list of governorship candidates for the 2027 elections, while rejecting 28 others.
The commission also upheld 25 petitions relating to the State Houses of Assembly elections, while 36 were unsuccessful.
INEC disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday by its Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, following a review of complaints submitted after the publication of the final lists of candidates on October 10, 2026.
According to the commission, 69 petitions were received from 12 political parties across 26 states over the governorship elections, while 61 petitions were submitted by 11 political parties across 11 states concerning the State Assembly elections.
The complaints bordered on the omission of political parties from the final lists, the inclusion of candidates whose names were missing from their parties’ membership registers, and allegations of multiple nominations.
INEC said it examined the petitions alongside relevant records and electoral laws, approving those that met the required conditions and rejecting those that lacked sufficient grounds.
The commission further confirmed that some candidates initially listed had been removed after verification showed that their names were not contained in the membership registers submitted by their political parties. It added that other nominations were also affected by failure to comply with applicable legal requirements.
Among the prominent candidates whose nominations attracted attention were former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, the PDP governorship candidate in Gombe State; Ladi Adebutu, the PDP candidate in Ogun State; and Abdulsalam Gwarzo of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kano State.
The electoral body explained that the submission of membership registers by political parties was a legal requirement, citing a September 24, 2026, Supreme Court judgment which affirmed the constitutionality of Section 77, subsections 5 to 7 of the Electoral Act 2026.
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INEC said the affected candidates, political parties and states would be reflected in an updated list to be published on its official website.
The commission reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, fairness and strict compliance with electoral laws ahead of the 2027 general elections.
