Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it has reinstated 66 governorship and state Houses of Assembly candidates after the review of the final list for the 2027 general election.
The Commission had published the final lists on 10th October, 2026, and later issued a press statement on 13th October, 2026, promising to look into all petitions.
INEC National Commission and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mohammed Haruna in a statement issued Thursday said it received complaints bordering on omission of political parties, wrongful inclusion of candidates whose names were not in the membership registers submitted by their parties, and alleged multiple nominations.
He explained that after reviewing the complaints in line with relevant records and legal provisions, it found merit in some petitions and approved the inclusion of the affected candidates and parties, while others were declined for lacking merit.
Haruna confirmed that some names wrongfully published in the final list have been removed after verification showed they were not on their party registers, while other candidates were removed for non-compliance with legal requirements for nomination.
Giving a breakdown, he revealed that a total of 69 petitions were received from 12 political parties across 26 states in respect of the Governorship election, out of which 41 succeeded and 28 failed.
The National Commissioner noted that for the State Houses of Assembly, 61 petitions were received from 11 political parties across 11 states, with 25 succeeding and 36 failing.
He stated: “Following a review of the complaints, relevant records and applicable legal provisions, the Commission found merit in some representations and approved the inclusion of affected candidates and their political parties, while complaints found to be without merit were declined.
“In addition, some names that were wrongfully published in the final list were removed after verifying that their names were not on the register.
“The Commission also approved the removal of candidates whose nominations were found to be inconsistent with the applicable legal requirements. In particular, the decisions affecting State Houses of Assembly candidates sponsored by political parties were informed by specific complaints received and determined in accordance with the law and the Commission’s established criteria.
“In summary, a total of 69 petitions were received from 12 political parties across 26 states for the governorship election. Forty-one of the petitions succeeded while 28 failed.
“Similarly, for the State Houses of Assembly, 61 petitions were received from 11 political parties across 11 states. Twenty-five succeeded while 36 failed.”
The commission stressed that the affected candidates, political parties and states would be reflected in the updated list on the Commission’s website.
The Commission assured the public of its commitment to transparency and the credibility of the electoral process.