Further to its Press Statement of 13th October, 2026, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) wishes to inform political parties, candidates and the general public of the outcome of its consideration of complaints received following the publication of the final lists of Governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates on 10th October, 2026.
The complaints concerned the omission of certain political parties, the wrongful inclusion of candidates of political parties whose names were not contained in the membership registers submitted by their political parties, and instances of alleged multiple nominations.
Following a review of the complaints, relevant records and applicable legal provisions, the Commission found merit in some representations and approved the inclusion of affected candidates and their political parties, while complaints found to be without merit were declined. In addition, some names that were wrongfully published in the final list were removed after verifying that their names were not on the register.
The Commission also approved the removal of candidates whose nominations were found to be inconsistent with the applicable legal requirements. In particular, the decisions affecting State Houses of Assembly candidates sponsored by political parties were informed by specific complaints received and determined in accordance with the law and the Commission’s established criteria.
In summary, a total of 69 petitions were received from 12 political parties across 26 states for the governorship election. Forty-one of the petitions succeeded while 28 failed. Similarly, for the State Houses of Assembly, 61 petitions were received from 11 political parties across 11 states. Twenty-five succeeded while 36 failed.
The affected candidates, political parties and states will be reflected in the updated list on the Commission’s website.
Once again, the Commission assures the public of its commitment to transparency and the credibility of the electoral process.
Mohammed Kudu Haruna
Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC)
29th October, 2026