2027: INEC Drops Some Candidates and Approves Others After Fresh Review

Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) revised candidate lists for the 2027 governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections after reviewing complaints from political parties. For governorship elections, it received 69 petitions from 12 parties across 26 states; 41 were upheld and 28 rejected. For State Houses of Assembly elections, 25 of 61 petitions submitted by 11 parties across 11 states succeeded. INEC said some candidates were removed because their names were absent from party membership registers, citing the Supreme Court’s September 24, 2026 ruling and the Electoral Act 2026.