The commission announced its decisions on Thursday, October 29, 2026, following complaints from political parties and candidates who challenged aspects of the final lists published on October 10. The petitions covered the exclusion of political parties, the wrongful inclusion of candidates and allegations involving multiple nominations.
Although the review has resolved several complaints, its outcome also highlights the difficulties political parties can face when their nomination processes do not fully comply with electoral requirements.
INEC Candidate List Review: What the Figures Reveal
INEC received 130 petitions from political parties across the two election categories, with 66 receiving favourable decisions and 64 rejected after the commission examined the submissions.
For the governorship elections, 12 political parties submitted 69 petitions across 26 states. The commission approved 41 complaints and rejected 28, meaning that some previously excluded candidates and parties secured favourable decisions.
The State Houses of Assembly elections recorded 61 petitions from 11 political parties across 11 states. Of these, INEC approved 25 and rejected 36 following its assessment of the complaints.
The commission explained that it considered relevant records, submitted complaints and applicable legal provisions before reaching its conclusions. It also confirmed that some candidates initially included in the published lists had been removed after verification showed that their names did not appear in the membership registers submitted by their parties.
Other candidates lost their positions because their nominations failed to satisfy the applicable legal requirements.
INEC said it would reflect the affected candidates, political parties and states in updated versions of the lists on its official website.
Why the Decisions Matter to Political Parties
The latest review carries important implications for political parties preparing for the 2027 elections, particularly because it demonstrates that completing a party primary does not automatically guarantee a candidate’s appearance on the commission’s official list.
One major issue concerns party membership registers, which play an important role in determining eligibility to participate in party primaries. Political parties must submit these records within the period prescribed by law and ensure that the candidates they nominate satisfy the relevant requirements.
The issue became particularly important after the Supreme Court delivered its judgment on September 24, 2026, upholding provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 concerning the submission of membership registers.
Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) address the submission of these records and the consequences of failing to comply with the requirements. The provisions also restrict participation in party primaries to members whose names appear in the submitted registers.
Consequently, parties that fail to maintain accurate membership records or follow the prescribed procedures risk losing the opportunity to field candidates in affected elections.
The review also demonstrates how disagreements within political parties can develop into formal disputes involving INEC and the courts.
Pantami’s Petition Succeeds as Adebutu’s Request Fails
Some of the decisions have attracted attention because they involve prominent governorship candidates.
Isa Ali Pantami, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Gombe State, secured a favourable decision following his petition over his exclusion from the published list.
However, INEC spokesperson Mohammed Kudu Haruna explained that Pantami’s inclusion remains subject to the outcome of pending court proceedings.
In Ogun State, the commission rejected a petition submitted by Ladi Adebutu, the PDP governorship candidate, who sought a review of his exclusion.
The different outcomes show how the commission assesses individual complaints based on the available records and applicable legal provisions rather than treating every nomination dispute in the same way.
They also demonstrate why political parties must address documentation and procedural issues before disputes reach the final stages of the electoral process.
What Happens Before the 2027 Elections?
With the review completed, attention will now turn to the updated INEC candidate list and any outstanding legal challenges involving affected candidates.
Political parties will need to examine the commission’s decisions, communicate the outcomes to their members and consider the legal options available where their petitions did not succeed.
The governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are scheduled for February 6, 2027, while presidential and National Assembly elections will take place on January 16.
As the election dates approach, further developments in court cases could still affect individual candidacies, particularly where judicial proceedings remain unresolved.
For INEC, the next stage involves ensuring that the updated records accurately reflect its decisions and that political parties, candidates and voters can access the relevant information.
The review does not settle every dispute surrounding the 2027 elections, but it provides greater clarity on several nomination complaints. It also reinforces the importance of legal compliance, accurate party records and transparent candidate selection as political parties move closer to the polls.