The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has raised the alarm over a fraudulent publication circulating online that claims to be a special announcement about governorship candidates for the 2027 elections.

In a public notice issued on Monday, October 12, 2026, the electoral body described the document as “FAKE” and stressed that it did not originate from the Commission.

The circulating material purports to address issues affecting the list of governorship candidates in six states: Zamfara, Gombe, Delta, Plateau, Yobe, and Kano.

“The Commission wishes to categorically inform the general public that the publication is FAKE and did not originate from INEC. INEC therefore urges members of the public to disregard the fraudulent publication and refrain from sharing it,” the notice stated.

INEC further clarified that any information suggesting it has issued a special announcement concerning governorship candidates in those states is false.

The warning comes just days after the Commission published the final lists of candidates for the February 6, 2027 governorship elections.

The electoral umpire advised Nigerians, political parties, and candidates to rely solely on official notices, press releases, and information released through its verified channels.

These include the INEC website (inecnigeria.org), its Facebook page (INEC Nigeria), X and Instagram handles (@inecnigeria), and the INEC News Portal.

INEC reiterated its commitment to providing accurate electoral information and called on the public to remain vigilant against misleading publications as preparations for the 2027 elections intensify.

Twenty one political parties are fielding 119 women for governorship elections in next year’s poll, data from the INEC reveals

However, 936 governorship candidates and running mates are on the ballot for the February 6, 2027 poll across 28 states.

Also, out of 10,020 candidates for the House of Assembly, 1,016 are women.

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate in Adamawa state, Senator Aishatu Dahiru Binani, is the highest ranking woman on the list.

According to the list, 25 women are contesting for governor in 15 states, while there is no female candidates in 13 states.

The statistics show that 94 women across 26 states are running mates.

But there is no female governorship and deputy governorship candidate in Jigawa and Katsina states.

States with female governorship candidates are Akwa Ibom (five candidates), Ebonyi (three) Cross River, Adamawa, Delta, Lagos (two each), while Plateau, Abia, Bauchi, Benue, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Ogun and Rivers have one female candidate each.

Ogun State takes the lead with 10 deputy governorship candidates, followed by Plateau and Lagos with nine women, Akwa Ibom; eight Rivers; six, Oyo, Kaduna, Enugu with five each; Abia, Adamawa, Ebonyi, Taraba; four each, Niger and Delta; three each, Gombe, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara; two each, while Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Kano, Kwara, Nasarawa and Yobe have one each.

The women governorship candidates are Doris Uzumma Umezurike (AAC, Abia), Chigbe Chioma Vivian -NRM and Joelyne Ita Hogan Bassey – ADP (Cross River); Bingel Hurung Philomina- ADP (Plateau); Aishatu Dahiru Binani-NDC and Samuel Faith Monday-NRM (Adamawa); Achibong Inimbom Nsikak-ADP, Jimmy Stella Monday-APGA, Emem Umoh-APP, Effiong Asuomo Rosemary-SDP and Umo Blessing Okon-ZLP (Akwa Ibom) and Babageidam Lami- ZLP (Bauchi).

Others are Ujah Mercy Engole-APP (Benue); Mohammed Jemila-YPP (Kaduna); Ahmed Furera-BP (Kano); Jayeola Monturayo-APM (Kwara); Adeyemi Abiola-APP and Peter Helen Ojoyule-ZLP (Lagos), Layi Labode Halima-APP (Ogun); West Ivy-AAC (Rivers); James Esther-LP and Iyovwaye Chris-NDC (Delta); Nwodum Lucy Chinwe-APGA, Nwankwo Martha Ebere-APP and Nwinyinya Juliet-ZLP (Ebonyi).

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun the nationwide display of the preliminary register of voters and the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) today, Friday, October 9, 2026, as part of preparations for the 2027 general elections.

The seven-day exercise, which runs until October 15, will take place simultaneously across registration areas and wards in all states. It allows registered voters to verify their details on the register, raise claims or objections, and collect PVCs from the first phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) conducted between August and December 2025. Collection hours are from 9am to 3pm daily, including weekends.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, confirmed that Nigeria’s National Register of Voters now stands at over 103 million following the completion of the three-phase CVR exercise and a final Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) cleanup. The exercise recorded 10,772,421 new registrations.

Phase 1 PVCs have already been processed and distributed to local government collection centres. After the seven-day ward-level exercise, further collection will continue at INEC Local Government Area offices. The commission stressed that PVCs cannot be collected by proxy, in line with the Electoral Act.

The display of the preliminary register is required under Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, which mandates INEC to exhibit the voter register not less than 90 days before the general elections.

Presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State House of Assembly elections will hold on February 6, 2027.

INEC has urged eligible voters to check their status online via its voter verification portal and to collect their cards promptly to avoid disenfranchisement.