{
  "id": 13903300,
  "title": "INEC debunks fake list of governorship candidates in six states",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/inec-debunks-fake-list-of-governorship-candidates-in-six-states",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-12T07:56:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch Nigeria",
    "slug": "punch-nigeria",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/inec-debunks-fake-list-of-governorship-candidates-in-six-states/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has refuted a false online announcement purportedly concerning governorship candidates in six Nigerian states. These states are identified as Zamfara, Gombe, Delta, Plateau, Yobe, and Kano. INEC announced this clarification in a public notice posted on their official social media platforms on Monday. The statement explicitly stated, “The Commission wishes to categorically inform the general public that the publication is FAKE and did not originate from INEC.” The electoral body emphasized that the public should disregard and not share the false publication. INEC further urged Nigerians to rely solely on their official notices, press releases, and other communications published through their verified channels. The Commission also clarified that any reports claiming INEC had issued a special announcement about governorship candidates in the mentioned states were untrue. INEC advised the public to verify all electoral information through their official channels to prevent falling prey to fraudulent publications. The official INEC channels include their website (inecnigeria.org), Twitter (X) and Instagram accounts (@inecnigeria), Facebook page (INEC Nigeria), and news portal (inecnews.com). For any questions or further clarification, INEC can be contacted via their call centre number (0700-2255-4632), short code 4632, telephone numbers 090844444333 and 09050858629, or email ([email protected]). INEC reiterated its commitment to accurately informing the public and urged Nigerians to obtain electoral information only through their official communication channels.",
  "summary": "The Independent National Electoral Commission has debunked a fake online list of governorship candidates for Zamfara, Gombe, Delta, Plateau, Yobe and Kano. Read More: https://punchng.com/inec-debunks-fake-list-of-governorship-candidates-in-six-states/",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Punch",
        "title": "Morning recap: INEC list controversy, Nigeria’s debt interest surge, other top stories",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/morning-recap-inec-list-controversy-nigerias-debt-interest-surge",
        "published": "2026-10-12T06:14:06.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}