The Independent National Electoral Commission has warned Nigerians against a fake online publication claiming to be a special announcement on governorship candidates in six states.
The affected states are Zamfara, Gombe, Delta, Plateau, Yobe and Kano.
INEC issued the warning in a public notice on Monday, circulated through its official social media platforms, describing the publication as fraudulent and unrelated to the commission.
“The Commission wishes to categorically inform the general public that the publication is FAKE and did not originate from INEC,” the notice stated.
The electoral umpire urged Nigerians to disregard the purported announcement and avoid sharing it across social media platforms.
It also advised members of the public to verify electoral information through its official website, press releases and verified social media accounts.
INEC further clarified that claims suggesting it had released a special announcement concerning governorship candidates in the six states were false.
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The commission urged Nigerians to remain vigilant against misleading publications, stressing the importance of obtaining election-related information from authorised sources.
It listed its official website as inecnigeria.org, with its X and Instagram accounts operating under the handle @inecnigeria. Its Facebook page is INEC Nigeria, while its news portal is inecnews.com.
For further enquiries, the commission provided its call centre number as 0700-2255-4632, short code 4632, telephone numbers 090844444333 and 09050858629, and email address iccc@inec.gov.ng.
The warning comes two days after INEC released the final lists of candidates for the February 6, 2027 governorship elections, amid reports of omissions involving some candidates.
Reports indicated that the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidates 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.
The development has drawn attention to the candidate lists, with INEC urging the public to rely on verified information rather than unconfirmed online publications.
The commission reiterated its commitment to providing accurate information to Nigerians and urged citizens to verify all election-related announcements through its official communication channels.