INEC to review petitions from candidates left off 2027 lists on Thursday

Candidates who were left off party lists ahead of the 2027 general elections have taken their complaints to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the commission says it will look into them at a meeting on Thursday, October 29.

Sources at the commission told reporters that petitions have been arriving at INEC headquarters from candidates challenging the omission of their names from lists submitted by their parties.

For everyday Nigerians, the lists decide whose names appear on the ballot in their area, so a dispute over them can delay campaigns and leave voters unsure who is actually standing.

Ebola contacts rise to 53

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) is now monitoring 53 primary contacts linked to the country's confirmed Ebola case, up from 44.

NCDC Director-General Dr Jide Idris said on Sunday that 44 of the contacts were tied to the health facility where the patient was treated, while nine others were identified outside it. Investigators are also looking at people who may have been exposed at other locations.

Lagos has tightened surveillance at its airports and hospitals have stepped up emergency preparedness, according to reports.

Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person, so quick contact tracing is the main way to stop it moving through a community.

Other stories making the rounds

• Amnesty International said the death toll from Friday's gunmen attack in Binnari, eastern Taraba State, has risen to at least 50, with some people still missing.
• The Nigeria Democratic Congress has named Senator Henry Dickson as chairman of its National Campaign Council for 2027, with presidential candidate Peter Obi as co-chairman.
• Motorists in Minna, Niger State, protested at an NNPC mega station on Sunday over a three-month shortage of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), saying their converted vehicles cannot run.
• The Congress of University Academics (CONUA) has threatened industrial action over unpaid salaries and the Federal Government's failure to conclude a collective bargaining agreement.
• The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has proposed a 200 per cent gratuity for retired officers, a plan now before a presidential committee on police pensions.

What happens next: all eyes are on Thursday's INEC meeting, which should clarify whether aggrieved candidates get back on the lists before campaigning gathers pace.