The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved 66 petitions challenging the final lists of governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates, while rejecting 64 others following its review of complaints submitted by political parties.
The petitions followed the publication of the final lists of candidates on October 10, 2026, with complaints bordering on the omission of political parties, wrongful inclusion of candidates whose names were not in their parties’ membership registers, and alleged multiple nominations.
In a statement dated October 29, 2026, and issued by the Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mohammed Kudu Haruna, the Commission disclosed that it received 69 petitions from 12 political parties across 26 states concerning governorship candidates.
According to the Commission, 41 of the governorship-related petitions were successful, while 28 were rejected after consideration of the complaints, relevant records, and applicable legal provisions.
Similarly, INEC revealed that it received 61 petitions from 11 political parties across 11 states concerning candidates contesting for seats in the State Houses of Assembly. Of the petitions, 25 were upheld, while 36 were unsuccessful.
The Commission explained 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, candidates whose names were found to have been wrongfully published despite their absence from the membership registers submitted by their political parties were removed.
INEC also approved the removal of candidates whose nominations failed to meet the applicable legal requirements, noting that decisions concerning State Houses of Assembly candidates were based on specific complaints and determined in line with the law and its established criteria.
The electoral body emphasised that the affected candidates, political parties, and states would be reflected in the updated lists to be published on its official website.
INEC reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and the credibility of the electoral process, assuring political parties, candidates, and the general public that its decisions were guided by the relevant legal provisions.
