The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disowned a forged announcement on governorship candidates in six states, warning Nigerians against circulating the document amid controversy over its final candidate lists for the February 6, 2027 elections.
The warning came two days after the commission published its final lists, which reportedly omitted some candidates whose parties expected to see their names included.
In a public notice issued on Monday and shared through its official social media platforms, INEC described the purported announcement as fake and said it did not originate from the commission.
The affected states are 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,” the notice stated.
INEC urged Nigerians to disregard the document and refrain from sharing it, advising the public to rely on its official communication channels for election-related information.
Candidate omissions raise questions
The warning comes amid growing questions over the commission’s final lists of governorship candidates published on Saturday.
Reports indicated that the names of the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidates in Ogun and Gombe states, Ladi Adebutu and Isa Pantami, were missing from the published lists.
The name of the Nigerian Democratic Congress candidate in Kano State, Aminu Abdusalam Gwarzo, was also reportedly omitted.
The published documents did not state the reasons for the omissions, leaving the affected parties and their supporters seeking clarification.
Although INEC condemned the circulating announcement, it did not disclose who allegedly produced the forged document, how widely it had circulated or whether it was connected to the controversy over the official candidate lists.
The development highlights the risk of misinformation spreading amid uncertainty over electoral information, particularly as political parties and their supporters seek answers ahead of the 2027 governorship elections.
INEC urged Nigerians to verify election-related claims through its official website, inecnigeria.org, and its verified social media accounts rather than rely on unverified publications.