By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has upheld 66 petitions challenging the final lists of governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates for the 2027 general elections, while rejecting 64 others.
The Commission disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday and signed by the Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mohammed Kudu Haruna.
The review followed complaints arising from the publication of the final candidates’ lists on October 10, 2026.
INEC said the petitions largely concerned the omission of political parties, wrongful inclusion of candidates whose names were absent from submitted membership registers, and alleged multiple nominations.
It explained that complaints found to have merit resulted in the inclusion of affected candidates and political parties, while names wrongly published were removed after verification.
The Commission also approved the removal of candidates whose nominations failed to meet applicable legal requirements.
Providing a breakdown, INEC said it received 69 petitions from 12 political parties across 26 states concerning governorship candidates. Of these, 41 were upheld, while 28 were rejected.
For State Houses of Assembly elections, the Commission received 61 petitions from 11 political parties across 11 states, with 25 upheld and 36 rejected.
The Commission said the affected candidates, political parties and states would be reflected in an updated list on its website.
INEC reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, strict compliance with electoral laws and the credibility of the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
