INEC Drops and Reinstates Candidates for 2027 Polls After Petition Review

ABUJA, NIGERIA — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has updated its final lists of candidates for the 2027 Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.

The decision comes after a rigorous review of 130 petitions submitted by various political parties.

The electoral body confirmed that while it found merit in several complaints—leading to the reinstatement of wrongfully omitted candidates—it also ruthlessly delisted individuals who failed to meet strict legal benchmarks, including membership register verification.

According to a press statement released on October 29, 2026, by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, the Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), the commission recorded mixed outcomes for the petitions across both tiers of government.

For governorship races, INEC says it received 69 petitions from 12 political parties spanning 26 states. Out of these, 41 petitions succeeded, while 28 were thrown out.
For state houses of assembly, the commission evaluated 61 petitions from 11 political parties across 11 states. 25 petitions succeeded, while 36 failed.

Why Candidates Were Dropped or Added

The post-publication cleanup followed complaints filed after the initial list released on October 10, 2026. Key issues cited during the review included the complete omission of certain political parties, multiple nominations by single candidates, and the wrongful inclusion of individuals whose names were entirely missing from the membership registers submitted by their respective parties.

“Some names that were wrongfully published in the final list were removed after verifying that their names were not on the register,” the commission stated, adding that candidates whose nominations conflicted with legal frameworks were swiftly axed.

The cleanup, according to the commission, aligns with recent stringent legal precedents, notably Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2026, which mandates political parties to strictly comply with membership register submissions before fielding candidates.

INEC has announced that all changes, including the newly cleared candidates, political parties, and their respective states, will be uploaded immediately. The public can verify these updates via the official INEC website.

Reiterating its stance on democratic integrity, the electoral umpire reassured political stakeholders and the general public of its unwavering commitment to transparency and a credible electoral process as the 2027 general elections draw closer.