The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published the final list of candidates for the upcoming governorship and state assembly elections. According to the list, 21 of the 22 registered political parties are sponsoring 119 women among 936 governorship and deputy governorship candidates across 28 states. This means that only 25 women are contesting governorship elections in 15 states, while no female candidates are listed in the other 13 states holding elections on February 6, 2027.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate in Adamawa State, Senator Aishatu Dahiru Binani, is among the women contesting governorship positions in the forthcoming elections. States with female governorship candidates include Akwa Ibom with 5 candidates, Ebonyi with 3 women, Cross River, Adamawa, Delta, and Lagos with two women each. On the other hand, Plateau, Abia, Bauchi, Benue, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Ogun, and Rivers have one female candidate each.
For the position of Deputy Governors, the political parties are fielding about 94 women across 26 states, with no female candidate for either the governorship or deputy governor in Jigawa and Katsina states. Ogun State leads with 10 women among deputy governorship candidates, followed by Plateau and Lagos with 9 women, Akwa Ibom with 8, Rivers with 6, Oyo, Kaduna, and Enugu with 5 women.
The political parties are also fielding about 1,016 female candidates for state Houses of Assembly seats out of the 10,020 candidates listed by INEC. Rivers has the highest number of female candidates, with 70 of 432 contesting the elections, followed by Kwara with 57 of 264, Osun with 56 of 263, Imo with 54 of 364, and Delta with 51 of 344 candidates.
Some states have a relatively low number of female candidates, with Jigawa and Yobe having the fewest, with three each out of 213 and 234 candidates, respectively. Katsina has 5 of 293, Borno has 6 of 218, Zamfara has 8 female candidates out of 249, and Kebbi has 9 out of 167. Other states, such as Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, and Gombe, also have varying numbers of female candidates.
The female governorship candidates include Doris Uzumma Umezurike (AAC, Abia), Chigbe Chioma Vivian (NRM) and Joelyne Ita Hogan Bassey (ADP) from Cross River; Bingel Hurung Philomina (ADP, Plateau); Aishatu Dahiru Binani (NDC, Adamawa); Achibong Inimbom Nsikak (ADP, Akwa Ibom); and Ujah Mercy Engole (APP, Benue). The list also includes Mohammed Jemila (YPP, Kaduna), Ahmed Furera (BP, Kano), and Jayeola Monturayo (APM, Kwara).
The low number of female candidates has raised concerns about the level of women's participation in Nigerian politics. Despite efforts to promote gender equality and encourage women to participate in politics, the numbers remain low. The INEC has urged political parties to promote more women candidates in future elections.
Key points
- Only 25 women are contesting governorship elections in 15 states.
- Political parties are fielding 1,016 female candidates for state Houses of Assembly seats.
- Some states have no female candidates for either governorship or deputy governor positions.
