The Independent National Electoral Commission has disowned an online publication purporting to be a special announcement on governorship candidates in six states, describing it as fake and warning Nigerians against circulating it.
The commission identified the states affected by the fraudulent publication as Zamfara, Gombe, Delta, Plateau, Yobe and Kano.
INEC made the clarification in a public notice issued on Monday and shared through its official social media platforms.
“The Commission wishes to categorically inform the general public that the publication is FAKE and did not originate from INEC,” the electoral body said.
INEC urged members of the public to disregard the publication and avoid sharing it, stressing that electoral information should be obtained only from its verified communication channels.
“The Commission further wishes to clarify that any information suggesting that INEC has issued a special announcement concerning governorship candidates in the aforementioned states is false,” it added.
The commission advised Nigerians to remain vigilant and verify information relating to elections before accepting or circulating it, particularly as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC listed its official website as inecnigeria.org, its X and Instagram handles as @inecnigeria, its Facebook page as INEC Nigeria, and its news portal as inecnews.com.
For enquiries and clarification, the commission also provided its call centre number, 0700-2255-4632, short code 4632, telephone numbers 090844444333 and 09050858629, as well as the email address [email protected].
The commission reiterated its commitment to keeping Nigerians accurately informed and urged the public to depend only on official notices, press releases and information issued through its recognised platforms.
The warning comes shortly after INEC published its final lists of candidates for the February 6, 2027 governorship elections, a development that generated attention over the omission of some candidates in certain states.
Among those reported missing from the published lists were Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidates Ladi Adebutu in Ogun State and Isa Pantami in Gombe State.
INEC’s published documents did not state the reasons for the omissions.
... “Disregard It And Do Not Share” — INEC Debunks Fake Governorship Candidates Notice In Zamfara, Gombe, Delta, Plateau, Yobe, Kano ... TheNigeriaLawyer.