The race for political offices in the 2027 general elections has taken another turn after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) approved changes to its published list of candidates, reinstating some aspirants and removing others over nomination-related complaints.
The latest development follows petitions submitted by political parties after INEC released its final lists of governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates on October 10, 2026.
In a statement dated October 29 and signed by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, Chairman of the commission’s Information and Voter Education Committee, INEC said it had concluded its review of the complaints and approved the inclusion of candidates and political parties whose cases were found to have merit.
The petitions raised concerns about political parties allegedly left out of the published lists, candidates whose names were not included in the membership registers submitted by their parties, and instances of multiple nominations.
INEC said its decisions were reached after examining the complaints, relevant records and applicable provisions of the law.
While some candidates secured a place on the updated list, others lost their positions after the commission discovered that their nominations did not satisfy the legal requirements.
The commission also clarified that some candidates had been wrongly included in the initial publication despite not appearing on the membership registers submitted by their political parties.
How INEC decided the 130 petitions
The commission provided a breakdown of the complaints received in connection with the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.
For the governorship election, INEC said it received 69 petitions from 12 political parties across 26 states.
Of the 69 complaints, 41 were upheld, while 28 were rejected after the commission’s review.
The figures for the State Houses of Assembly elections showed a different outcome. INEC received 61 petitions from 11 political parties across 11 states, approving 25 and dismissing the remaining 36.
In total, the commission considered 130 petitions, with 66 succeeding and 64 failing.
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The outcome means that the updated candidates’ list will differ from the version initially published by the electoral body, with some political parties and aspirants gaining entry while others are excluded.
INEC explains next step
INEC said the names of affected candidates, political parties and states would be reflected in the revised list to be published on its official website.
The commission maintained that the exercise was guided by the relevant legal provisions and its established criteria, insisting that the review was necessary to address complaints arising from the initial publication.
It also reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and the credibility of the electoral process as political parties and candidates prepare for the 2027 elections.
The full statement, signed by Haruna, said the commission had found merit in some of the representations received but declined those it considered unsupported.
The latest revision adds another layer to the preparations for the 2027 polls, with the affected political parties and candidates now awaiting the updated publication to confirm the final position of their nominations.