592 candidates seek 52 elective positions in Benue – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday disclosed that 592 candidates are seeking 52 elective positions in Benue State ahead of the 2027 general election.

Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Benue State, Aminu Idris, made the disclosure at the INEC/Stakeholders meeting held at the Commission’s headquarters in Makurdi.

Idris gave the breakdown of the nomination figures to include 12 candidates contesting the governorship seat, while 40 candidates are seeking the three senatorial positions across the Benue North-East, Benue North-West and Benue South districts.

Also, the breakdown shows that Benue North-East has 12 senatorial candidates, Benue North-West has 13, while Benue South has 15.

He noted that for the House of Representatives, the figures recorded by INEC showed that 118 candidates are contesting across the state’s 11 federal constituencies.

The Otukpo/Ohimini Federal Constituency has the highest number, with 15 candidates, followed by Apa/Agatu and Oju/Obi constituencies, with 12 candidates each.

While Kwande/Ushongo has 11 candidates, Ado/Ogbadibo/Okpokwu, Buruku, Gboko/Tarka, Gwer East/West and Konshisha/Vandeikya have 10 candidates each with Guma/Makurdi and Katsina-Ala/Ukum/Logo constituencies having nine candidates each.

The REC added that 422 candidates are contesting for 37 constituencies in the State House of Assembly, noting that the increase number of the state constituencies from 32 to 37 followed the restoration of five suppressed constituencies by the court.

He urged political parties to begin preparation for the January 16, 2027 and February 6, 2027 general elections while assuring stakeholders of INEC readiness to conduct the polls.

Idris further disclosed a total of 3,057,225 registered voters in 276 registration areas (RA’s ‘wards’) in the state with the exercise expected to hold across 5, 102 polling units in the state.