INEC sets stage for 2027 elections with publication of state candidates’ list Saturday

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will on Saturday, 29 August 2026, display the list of candidates nominated by political parties for the 6 February 2027 governorship and state assembly elections.

According to the commission, the governorship poll will hold across 28 states, while state assembly elections will take place in all 36 states of the federation.

Staggered cycle excludes eight states from governorship polls

INEC’s electoral timetable shows that governorship polls are scheduled for Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Delta, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Enugu, Ebonyi, Abia, Kwara, Benue, Plateau, Niger and Nasarawa. Others are Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi and Sokoto.

Governorship elections will not hold in Ondo, Osun, Ekiti, Edo, Bayelsa, Anambra, Imo and Kogi states, where polls are conducted under Nigeria’s staggered electoral cycle.

INEC said the publication of the candidates’ list forms part of its preparations for the 2027 general elections and will give political parties, candidates and members of the public an opportunity to verify information submitted to the commission.

The 22 registered political parties are expected to field candidates in states where the tenure of incumbent governors will expire in 2027, including Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Yobe, Borno, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Kwara and Nasarawa.

Parties face tight statutory deadlines for candidate withdrawal

The commission also expects political parties participating in the presidential and National Assembly elections to submit their final candidate lists by Saturday, 29 August. The deadline follows the 22 August cutoff for candidates seeking to withdraw from the 2027 elections.

Under Section 31 of the Electoral Act 2026, any candidate wishing to withdraw must submit a written notice, signed by the candidate and accompanied by an affidavit, directly to the political party that nominated them.

INEC is scheduled to publish the final list of presidential and National Assembly candidates on Saturday, 12 September. The list will contain the names of candidates contesting the presidential, Senate and House of Representatives elections.

With the 29 August deadline approaching, political parties are expected to conclude their nomination and substitution processes ahead of the commission’s publication of final lists. The 6 February 2027 governorship and state assembly elections form part of the broader electoral programme for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.

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