Nigeria’s electoral body has approved dozens of appeals from political parties seeking to reinstate excluded candidates ahead of the country’s 2027 general elections.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed on Thursday that it had reviewed 130 petitions regarding omissions, wrongful inclusions, and alleged double nominations in its candidates list published earlier this month. Out of 69 petitions filed across 26 states for governorship positions, 41 were successful while 28 were rejected. For state houses of assembly, 25 out of 61 petitions were upheld across 11 states.
Disqualified and restored
The review followed widespread complaints after INEC published its final candidate lists for governorship and state legislature races on 10 October. Political parties raised concerns over missing candidates, individuals listed despite not appearing on official party membership registers, and instances where individuals were nominated for multiple seats.
In a statement signed by national commissioner Mohammed Haruna, the commission said it had verified party records and legal requirements before making changes.”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,” Mr. Haruna said. He added that names wrongfully included in the initial release were stripped from the list after checks confirmed they were not on party registers. Other candidates were removed for failing to satisfy statutory nomination rules.
Push for electoral transparency
INEC said an updated candidate roster reflecting the additions, removals, and state variations would be published on its official website
Add Comment