The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it will publish the final list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections on October 10, 2026. This move marks another significant stage in preparations for Nigeria’s general elections. According to INEC, 21 out of 22 registered political parties submitted nominations for the state-level elections.
A total of 936 governorship and deputy governorship candidates, as well as 9,692 candidates for State Houses of Assembly seats, have been nominated across the country. The publication of the final list is provided for under Section 32(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, and it follows the conclusion of political parties’ nomination, withdrawal, and substitution processes.
The governorship elections are scheduled to take place on February 6, 2027, in 28 states, including Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, Kano, Kaduna, Lagos, Rivers, and Oyo. However, eight states – Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Ondo, and Osun – will not participate in the governorship polls as their elections follow separate electoral timetables.
INEC chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, had earlier announced that the commission received 112 formal complaints from aspirants, candidates, and political parties concerning nomination-related matters. Some disputes are still before the courts. The publication of the final list is crucial for political parties and candidates whose nominations have been affected by legal disputes ahead of the elections.
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 commission had fixed September 19, 2026, as the deadline for the withdrawal and replacement of governorship and assembly candidates, while submission of the relevant nomination forms closed on September 26, 2026. INEC previously published the final list of presidential and National Assembly candidates on September 12, 2026.
The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will follow on February 6, 2027. The publication of the final list of governorship and assembly candidates is a significant milestone in the electoral process, reflecting changes arising from candidate withdrawals, substitutions, and other adjustments made before the statutory deadlines.
Key points
- INEC to publish final list of governorship, assembly candidates on October 10, 2026
- 936 governorship and deputy governorship candidates, 9,692 assembly candidates nominated
- Governorship elections to hold in 28 states on February 6, 2027
