By Afolayan Sunday
As preparations intensify for the upcoming general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it will publicly display the list of candidates nominated by political parties for the February 6, 2027, governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections on Saturday, August 29.
The publication marks a critical milestone in the electoral timeline, providing political parties, candidates, and the general public an opportunity to scrutinize, verify, and raise objections regarding the personal particulars and academic credentials submitted by aspirants.
While State Assembly elections will take place nationwide, governorship elections will only be held in 28 states.
Participating States: Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Delta, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Enugu, Ebonyi, Abia, Kwara, Benue, Plateau, Niger, Nasarawa, Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi, and Sokoto.
Excluded States: Due to Nigeria’s staggered electoral cycle, eight states are exempt from this cycle: Ondo, Osun, Ekiti, Edo, Bayelsa, Anambra, Imo, and Kogi.
Political parties are expected to feature fresh tickets in high-profile battlegrounds and states like Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Kwara, Borno, and Yobe, where incumbent governors are completing their constitutional two-term limits.
INEC had said the publication of the candidate lists was part of its preparations for the 2027 general election and would enable political parties, candidates and the public to verify the information submitted to the commission.
The 22 registered political parties are expected to field new candidates in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Yobe, Borno, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Kwara and Nasarawa, where the tenure of the incumbent governors will expire in 2027.
The commission is also expecting political parties contesting the presidential and National Assembly elections to submit their final lists of candidates by Saturday, August 29.
The deadline follows the August 22 deadline for candidates seeking to withdraw from the 2027 elections.
Under Section 31 of the Electoral Act 2026, a candidate seeking to withdraw from an election is required to submit a written notice, signed by the candidate and accompanied by an affidavit, personally to the political party that nominated the candidate.
The provision is intended to establish a formal process for candidates who decide to withdraw after being nominated by their political parties.
INEC is expected to publish the final list of presidential and National Assembly candidates on Saturday, September 12.
The list will include candidates for the Senate and House of Representatives, alongside those contesting the presidential election.
With the August 29 deadline approaching, political parties are expected to conclude their candidate nomination and substitution processes ahead of the commission’s publication of the final lists.
The February 6, 2027 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections will form part of the wider electoral programme for the 2027 general elections.
