The Independent National Electoral Commission has debunked a fraudulent online publication claiming to be a special announcement by the commission on governorship candidates in six states.
The commission identified the affected states as Zamfara, Gombe, Delta, Plateau, Yobe and Kano.
INEC disclosed this in a public notice issued on Monday and shared across 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 statement read.
The electoral body urged members of the public to disregard the publication and refrain from sharing it.
It also advised Nigerians to rely on its official notices, press releases and other information published through 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.
INEC urged the public to remain vigilant and verify electoral information through its official channels to avoid being misled by fraudulent publications.
The commission listed its 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 further clarification, INEC provided its call centre number as 0700-2255-4632, short code 4632, telephone numbers 090844444333 and 09050858629, and email address [email protected].
The commission reiterated its commitment to “keeping the public accurately informed and urged Nigerians to obtain electoral information only through its official communication channels.”
PUNCH Online reports that the warning comes two days after INEC published its final lists of candidates for the February 6, 2027 governorship elections, with reports of omissions involving candidates in some states.
PUNCH reported on Saturday that the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidates in Ogun and Gombe states, Ladi Adebutu and Isa Pantami, respectively, were missing from the published lists.
The documents did not state the reasons for their omission.
Tosin Oyediran is a journalist with Punch Newspapers, bringing over eight years of newsroom experience to his coverage of politics, health, advocacy, sports, and entertainment. Known for sharp interviews and human-centered reporting, his work focuses on public accountability, civic issues, and the stories shaping everyday lives.