2027: INEC publishes governorship, assembly candidates
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled the publication of the final list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections for Saturday, 10 October 2026, marking another significant stage in preparations for Nigeria’s general elections.
The publication, provided for under Section 32(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, follows the conclusion of political parties’ nomination, withdrawal and substitution processes.
INEC chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, had announced that 21 of the country’s 22 registered political parties submitted nominations for the state-level elections.
According to the commission, the parties nominated 936 governorship and deputy governorship candidates, alongside 9,692 candidates for State Houses of Assembly seats across the country.
The governorship elections are scheduled for 6 February 2027 in 28 states, including Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, Kano, Kaduna, Lagos, Rivers and Oyo.
Eight states — Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Ondo and Osun — will not participate in the governorship polls because their elections follow separate electoral timetables.
However, State House of Assembly elections will take place across all 36 states.
Under the Electoral Act, INEC is required to publish the names and addresses of nominated candidates at its relevant offices and on its official website.
Political parties that discover omissions from the published lists have 14 days to notify the commission in writing, supported by the required affidavit.
The publication is expected to reflect changes arising from candidate withdrawals, substitutions and other adjustments made before the statutory deadlines.
INEC had earlier fixed 19 September 2026 as the deadline for the withdrawal and replacement of governorship and assembly candidates, while submission of the relevant nomination forms closed on 26 September.
The commission also disclosed that it had received 112 formal complaints from aspirants, candidates and political parties concerning nomination-related matters, with some disputes remaining before the courts.
The final list is particularly significant for political parties and candidates whose nominations have been affected by legal disputes ahead of the elections.
INEC previously published the final list of presidential and National Assembly candidates on 12 September 2026.
The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for 16 January 2027, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will follow on 6 February.