The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has revised its list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections, removing some previously cleared candidates while reinstating others following complaints from political parties. The commission said the adjustments were made after examining petitions challenging the omission or inclusion of certain candidates in the final lists released on October 10, 2026.
The complaints bordered on the exclusion of some political parties, the nomination of candidates whose names were missing from their parties’ membership registers, and alleged multiple nominations.
Among the prominent politicians initially affected by the exclusions were former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Gombe State; Ladi Adebutu, the party’s candidate in Ogun State; and Abdulsalam Gwarzo of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Kano State.
INEC explained that some candidates were excluded because their political parties failed to submit the required membership registers in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026. The commission relied on the September 24, 2026, Supreme Court judgment, which upheld the constitutionality of Section 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act, making the submission of party membership registers a mandatory requirement.
Following the initial publication, INEC gave political parties that considered the exclusions unjustified an opportunity to submit petitions before the October 24 deadline.
In a statement released on Thursday October 29 2026, the Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said the commission carefully examined the complaints alongside relevant documents and applicable legal provisions before arriving at its decisions. Haruna noted that some petitions were upheld, while others were dismissed, resulting in the removal of candidates whose nominations did not satisfy the legal requirements.
He disclosed that INEC received 69 petitions from 12 political parties across 26 states over governorship elections. Of the total, 41 were successful, while 28 were rejected.
For the State Houses of Assembly elections, the commission received 61 petitions from 11 political parties across 11 states. Twenty-five petitions were upheld, while 36 were dismissed.
The INEC spokesman added that the names of affected candidates, political parties and states would be contained in an updated list to be published on the commission’s official website. He reiterated the commission’s determination to uphold transparency, fairness and credibility in the electoral process.
