2027: INEC clears 41 governorship petitions, rejects 28

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has upheld 41 of the 69 petitions challenging the final list of governorship candidates for the 2027 general election, while rejecting the remaining 28.

The commission also upheld 25 of the 61 petitions filed against candidates for State Houses of Assembly elections, rejecting 36 others.

Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, disclosed the figures in a statement issued on Thursday night.

According to Haruna, the governorship petitions were submitted by 12 political parties across 26 states. The complaints centred on the omission of political parties, the inclusion of candidates whose names were allegedly absent from their parties’ membership registers submitted to INEC, and cases of alleged multiple nominations.

He said the commission reviewed the complaints alongside relevant records and applicable laws before reaching its decisions.

“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,” Haruna said.

He added that INEC had removed some candidates whose names were wrongly published after confirming that they were absent from the membership registers submitted by their parties. The commission also approved the removal of candidates whose nominations failed to meet the applicable legal requirements.

Although INEC did not identify the affected candidates or states, a source familiar with the review disclosed that former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate in Kano State, Abdulsalam Gwarzo, had been cleared to contest the 2027 elections, subject to the outcome of pending court cases.

However, the source said the petition by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, challenging his exclusion from the final list, was unsuccessful.

“Yes, Pantami has been cleared,” the source said, while confirming the outcome of the review. On Adebutu’s petition, the source stated: “He did not succeed.”

For the State Houses of Assembly elections, INEC received 61 petitions from 11 political parties across 11 states. Twenty-five petitions were upheld, while 36 were rejected.

Haruna said the decisions were based on the specific complaints received and determined in line with the law and the commission’s established criteria. He added that the names of affected candidates, political parties and states would be reflected in an updated list on INEC’s website.

The commission reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and the credibility of the electoral process as preparations continue for the 2027 general election.

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