The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has concluded its review of complaints arising from the publication of the final lists of Governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates for the 2027 general election, with far-reaching decisions that have seen some candidates added and others removed from the final lists across the federation.

The development was contained in a press statement issued on Thursday, 29th October, 2026, in Abuja by the Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, IVEC, of the Commission, Mr. Mohammed Kudu Haruna, who provided a detailed breakdown of how the Commission handled the numerous petitions submitted by political parties and aspirants.

According to the Commission, the latest statement is a follow-up to its earlier press release dated 13th October, 2026, and is intended to intimate political parties, candidates, civil society organisations, the media and the general public on the outcome of its painstaking consideration of all complaints received after the publication of the final lists on 10th October, 2026.

INEC recalled that in strict compliance with its Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 General Election, it had on 10th October, 2026, published the final lists of Governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates as submitted by the various political parties, and subsequently opened a window for complaints and observations from interested parties.

The Commission explained that shortly after the publication, it was inundated with petitions and letters from political parties, aspirants and their legal representatives alleging various forms of irregularities and infractions in the published lists, which necessitated a thorough administrative review to ensure justice, fairness and compliance with extant laws.

Giving insight into the nature of the complaints received, INEC stated that a major grievance was the outright omission of certain political parties and their validly nominated candidates from the final lists published for the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections, despite claims that they had complied with all nomination requirements.

Another recurring complaint, according to the electoral umpire, was the wrongful inclusion of candidates of political parties whose names were not contained in the membership registers earlier submitted by their political parties to the Commission, a development which many petitioners described as fraudulent and in clear violation of the Electoral Act, 2022.

Furthermore, INEC disclosed that it also received complaints relating to alleged cases of multiple nominations, where some individuals were said to have been nominated as candidates by more than one political party or for more than one constituency for the same election, an act which is expressly prohibited by the Constitution and the Electoral Act.

Upon receipt of these complaints, the Commission said it immediately activated its internal review mechanism, which involved a meticulous examination of all petitions alongside relevant records, including membership registers, nomination forms EC9, EC9B, EC11, reports from its monitoring teams, court judgments and applicable legal provisions.

The review process, the Commission noted, was not done arbitrarily but was carried out in strict adherence to the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, the Electoral Act 2022, INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, and its own established criteria for candidate nomination and verification.

After days of intensive verification and deliberation at its headquarters in Abuja, INEC said it found merit in a substantial number of the representations made by political parties and candidates, and consequently approved the inclusion of the affected candidates and their political parties in the updated final lists for the 2027 polls.

The Commission also stated that in cases where complaints were found to be frivolous, unsubstantiated, lacking in credible evidence or without any legal basis, such petitions were declined and the earlier publication as it relates to those candidates was affirmed and upheld.

In a bid to sanitise the final lists and ensure that only qualified and duly nominated candidates make it to the ballot, INEC revealed that it discovered and subsequently removed some names that were wrongfully published in the final list after it was verified that their names were not on the authentic membership register submitted by their political parties.

The electoral body stressed that the action of removing wrongfully published names became imperative in order to protect the integrity of the nomination process and to ensure that the provisions of Section 77 of the Electoral Act, 2022, which mandates parties to maintain and submit a genuine register of members, are not rendered meaningless.

In addition to that, the Commission also approved the removal of certain candidates whose nominations were found to be inconsistent with applicable legal requirements, such as failure to give the mandatory 21 days notice for primaries, non-conduct of valid primaries, or sponsorship by parties without valid membership status.

INEC clarified that the decisions affecting State Houses of Assembly candidates sponsored by various political parties were not taken in isolation but were informed by specific, verifiable complaints received from within the parties and determined in accordance with the law and the Commission’s established administrative criteria for handling pre-election complaints.

The Commission emphasised that at no point were its decisions influenced by political considerations, ethnic sentiments, or external pressures, but were guided solely by facts, documentary evidence available to it, and the overriding need to uphold transparency, legality and the rule of law in the electoral process.

Providing statistical details of the exercise, INEC disclosed that for the Governorship election alone, a total of 69 petitions were received from 12 political parties cutting across 26 states of the federation, indicating the widespread nature of grievances that followed the publication of the final lists.

Out of the 69 petitions received for the Governorship category, the Commission said 41 petitions succeeded after being found to have merit, while the remaining 28 petitions failed and were accordingly dismissed, with the status quo maintained in respect of those complaints.

Similarly, for the State Houses of Assembly elections, the Commission stated that it received a total of 61 petitions from 11 political parties across 11 states, with each petition subjected to the same rigorous verification process as those of the governorship category.

At the end of the review for the State Houses of Assembly, INEC announced that 25 of the 61 petitions succeeded and were granted, while 36 petitions failed and were declined, meaning that the Commission found no justifiable reason to alter its earlier publication concerning those complaints.

The electoral management body further disclosed that the details of the affected candidates, their political parties and the states concerned will be appropriately reflected in the updated final lists which will be published on the Commission’s official website and at its state offices nationwide for public information.

It therefore urged all political parties, candidates, the media and members of the public to visit the Commission’s website at http://www.inecnigeria.org to access the updated final lists of Governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates for the 2027 General Election.

INEC assured political parties and candidates whose complaints succeeded that their names, particulars and party logos would be promptly reflected in the updated lists and that they would enjoy all rights, privileges and benefits accruable to duly nominated candidates under the law.

The Commission also used the opportunity to call on political parties to ensure strict compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, their own constitutions and INEC guidelines in the nomination of candidates, to avoid unnecessary complaints, litigations and disqualifications in future elections.

Reiterating its commitment to a credible electoral process, INEC said it remains irrevocably committed to ensuring a level playing field for all political parties and candidates participating in the electoral process, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will.

It maintained that it will continue to act strictly in accordance with the law and in the best interest of Nigeria’s democracy, even as it appeals to political parties and candidates to channel any further grievances through lawful and peaceful means rather than resorting to self-help or violence.

Once again, the Commission assured the public of its unwavering commitment to transparency, inclusivity and credibility of the electoral process, as it intensifies preparations for the conduct of the 2027 general election which Nigerians look forward to with great expectations.

Political observers and election monitors have already reacted to the development, describing the review as a commendable step that demonstrates INEC’s willingness to own up to administrative errors, listen to stakeholders and correct mistakes where necessary, thereby enhancing public confidence in the electoral system.

Meanwhile, stakeholders across the political spectrum have urged INEC to sustain its transparency drive, ensure timely publication of the updated lists and provide adequate information to all concerned parties to enable them to prepare effectively for the forthcoming campaigns and the general election.