The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed as fake an online publication claiming to be a special announcement on governorship candidates in six states ahead of the 2027 elections.
The affected states are Zamfara, Gombe, Delta, Plateau, Yobe and Kano.
In a public notice issued on Monday and shared through its official social media platforms, the commission said the publication did not originate from it and urged Nigerians to disregard the information.
“The Commission wishes to categorically inform the general public that the publication is FAKE and did not originate from INEC,” the statement read.
INEC further clarified that it had not issued any special announcement concerning governorship candidates in the six states, warning the public against sharing unverified electoral information.
The commission advised Nigerians to rely on its official notices, press releases and verified communication channels for accurate updates on electoral matters.
It listed its official website as inecnigeria.org, with its X and Instagram handles identified as @inecnigeria. The commission also directed the public to its Facebook page, INEC Nigeria, and its news portal, inecnews.com, for further information and clarification.
The warning comes days after INEC published the final lists of candidates for the February 6, 2027 governorship elections, following reports of omissions involving some candidates.
Reports indicated that the governorship candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun and Gombe states, Ladi Adebutu and Isa Pantami, respectively, were absent from the published lists.
The documents did not specify the reasons for their omission.
INEC reiterated its commitment to providing accurate electoral information and urged political parties, candidates and members of the public to verify claims through its official channels to avoid being misled by false publications.
