By Mercy Peter
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has received 130 petitions from political parties across various states following the publication of the final lists of candidates for the 2027 governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.
The Commission disclosed that 69 petitions were submitted by 12 political parties across 26 states in respect of the governorship election, while 61 petitions were received from 11 political parties across 11 states concerning the State Houses of Assembly elections.
According to INEC, 41 of the governorship-related petitions were successful, while 28 were rejected. For the State Houses of Assembly, 25 petitions succeeded, while 36 were unsuccessful.
The Commission made this known in a statement issued on Thursday, October 29, 2026, by the Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mohammed Kudu Haruna.
The review followed the publication of the final lists of governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates on October 10, 2026, and a subsequent press statement issued by the Commission on October 13.
INEC said the complaints received from political parties and other concerned parties centred on the omission of some political parties from the published lists, the inclusion of candidates whose names were allegedly absent from their parties’ membership registers, and cases of alleged multiple nominations.
The Commission explained that it reviewed the complaints alongside relevant records and applicable legal provisions before reaching its decisions.
It stated that some complaints were found to have merit, leading to the approval of affected candidates and political parties for inclusion in the updated lists.
However, petitions that failed to satisfy the applicable requirements were rejected, while some candidates whose names had been wrongfully published were removed after verification established that they were not listed in the membership registers submitted by their political parties.
INEC further disclosed that it approved the removal of candidates whose nominations were found to be inconsistent with the relevant legal requirements.
The Commission said decisions affecting candidates for the State Houses of Assembly were guided by specific complaints received and determined in accordance with the law and its established criteria.
The outcome of the review indicates that 41 of the 69 governorship petitions succeeded, representing about 59.4 per cent, while the remaining 28, or approximately 40.6 per cent, were unsuccessful.
Similarly, the 25 successful petitions relating to the State Houses of Assembly accounted for about 41 per cent of the 61 complaints received, while the 36 unsuccessful petitions represented approximately 59 per cent.
Overall, 66 of the 130 petitions were successful, while 64 were rejected, bringing the proportion of successful petitions across both categories to approximately 50.8 per cent.
INEC said the affected candidates, political parties and states would be reflected in the updated lists to be published on its official website.
The Commission urged political parties, candidates and members of the public to take note of the outcome of the review, reiterating its commitment to transparency and the credibility of the electoral process.
The review comes as preparations continue for the 2027 general election, with the finalisation of candidate lists remaining an important part of the electoral process.
INEC’s latest decision clarifies the outcome of the complaints considered after the initial publication of the candidate lists, including cases involving omissions, membership-register discrepancies and nominations that did not meet applicable legal requirements.
The Commission reaffirmed that its decisions were based on the examination of the complaints, relevant records and the applicable legal framework.
