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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has removed the names of some candidates earlier cleared to contest the 2027 governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections following a review of complaints submitted by political parties.
The commission also approved the inclusion of some previously omitted candidates after finding merit in petitions challenging their exclusion from the final lists published on October 10, 2026.
The development followed complaints over the omission of certain political parties, wrongful inclusion of candidates whose names were absent from their parties’ membership registers and alleged multiple nominations.
INEC had initially excluded some prominent candidates, including former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Gombe State; Ladi Adebutu, PDP candidate in Ogun State; and Abdulsalam Gwarzo of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kano State.
The commission attributed some of the exclusions to the failure of political parties to submit their membership registers as required by law.
It cited the September 24, 2026, Supreme Court judgment affirming the constitutionality of Section 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which makes the submission of membership registers mandatory for political parties.
INEC had subsequently invited political parties that believed their candidates were wrongly omitted to submit complaints before the October 24 deadline.
In a statement, Chairman of the Commission’s Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said the commission reviewed the petitions alongside relevant records and applicable legal provisions before reaching its decisions.
Haruna explained that while some complaints were upheld, others were rejected, adding that candidates whose nominations failed to meet legal requirements had been removed from the published lists.
He disclosed that 69 petitions were received from 12 political parties across 26 states concerning governorship elections, with 41 succeeding and 28 rejected.
Similarly, 61 petitions were submitted by 11 political parties across 11 states in respect of State Houses of Assembly elections. Of these, 25 were successful, while 36 were declined.
The INEC spokesman said the affected candidates, political parties and states would be reflected in an updated list to be published on the commission’s website.
He reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to transparency and the credibility of the electoral process.
