Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved 41 petitions and rejected 28 others connected to the governorship candidate lists for the 2027 elections, according to Channels Television. The commission announced the decisions on Friday, 30 October 2026.
The rulings were reported alongside coverage from other Nigerian outlets, which named some of the candidates affected. Punch Newspapers reported that INEC rejected Adebutu and Gwarzo while confirming Pantami. Daily Trust described the development as the commission delisting some candidates for the 2027 elections.
Coverage of the Kano race shifted during the day. Daily Post Nigeria reported that INEC cleared Gwarzo as the Kano governorship candidate of the NDC after what it described as pressure. The Nation Newspaper, meanwhile, reported on the Ogun 2027 contest, where an APC figure said the party was not behind Adebutu's troubles and criticised Iyabo Obasanjo and the PDP.
The reports do not give the grounds on which the 28 petitions were turned down, and the full list of affected candidates has not been detailed in the material available.
The petitions process is a step in the commission's handling of candidate nominations ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the governorship lists now partly settled.
What to watch next: whether INEC publishes its full reasons for the rejected petitions and how the affected candidates respond.