The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it will publish the final list of candidates contesting the 2027 governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections on Saturday, October 10, 2026. This development marks an important process in the commission's preparations for the 2027 general elections, with political parties expected to have their candidates formally confirmed for the state-level contests.
According to INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, the commission has received nominations from 21 of the 22 registered political parties for the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections. A total of 936 governorship and deputy governorship candidates and 9,692 candidates for the various State House of Assembly seats have been submitted. The commission had earlier published the personal particulars of the nominated candidates as required under the electoral timetable.
The final list of candidates will reflect subsequent withdrawals, substitutions, and other changes that occurred during the nomination process. INEC said it had received 112 formal complaints from aspirants, candidates, and political parties over the nomination process. The complaints covered issues such as alleged unlawful withdrawal and substitution of candidates, errors in submitted information, and other legal matters. Most of the complaints have been investigated and resolved, except those still before the courts.
INEC has scheduled the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections for February 6, 2027, while the presidential and National Assembly elections will hold earlier, on January 16, 2027. The commission also provided updates on the presidential race, saying 18 of Nigeria's 22 registered political parties submitted a total of 36 presidential and vice-presidential candidates. The final list for the presidential election has already been released, while the National Assembly final candidate list was published on September 12, 2026.
The commission is also preparing for a significant increase in the number of registered voters. The three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise produced 10,772,421 new registrations. Following verification and the final biometric clean-up of the register, the national voter register has now risen above 103 million. This represents a major expansion from the 93,469,008 registered voters recorded for the 2023 general elections.
INEC will display the updated register for public scrutiny from October 9 to October 15, 2026, to give registered voters an opportunity to check their details and raise claims or objections where necessary. The commission will also commence the distribution of Phase One Permanent Voter Cards on October 9. The cards will be distributed to Local Government centres for collection by eligible voters.
The commission is introducing measures aimed at making voter registration and access to election materials easier. INEC has deployed a printable PVC technology and plans to acquire 57,000 new Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices as part of preparations for the general elections. The electoral body is also working on improving the electronic management and transmission of election results, guided by the revised electoral timetable and the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
Key points
- INEC to publish final list of candidates for 2027 governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections on October 10, 2026.
- The commission has received nominations from 21 of the 22 registered political parties for the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.
- The national voter register has now risen above 103 million, following the Continuous Voter Registration exercise.
