The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will on Saturday, August 29, display the list of candidates nominated by political parties for the February 6, 2027, governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.
The governorship election will be conducted in 28 states, while State Houses of Assembly elections will take place across all 36 states of the federation.
According to INEC’s electoral timetable, governorship elections are scheduled for Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Delta, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Enugu, Ebonyi, Abia, Kwara, Benue, Plateau, Niger and Nasarawa states.
Other states where governorship polls will be held are Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi and Sokoto.
The election will not hold in Ondo, Osun, Ekiti, Edo, Bayelsa, Anambra, Imo and Kogi states, where governorship elections were conducted at different times due to the staggered electoral cycle.
INEC said the publication of the candidate lists is part of its preparations for the 2027 general elections and will provide political parties, candidates and members of the public an opportunity 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 states, where the tenure of the incumbent governors will expire in 2027.
The commission also expects political parties participating in the presidential and National Assembly elections to submit their final candidate lists by August 29.
The deadline comes after 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 must submit a written notice, signed by the candidate and accompanied by an affidavit, personally to the political party that nominated the candidate.
The provision establishes a formal procedure for candidates who choose to withdraw after securing their party’s nomination.
INEC is expected to publish the final list of presidential and National Assembly candidates on Saturday, September 12.
The list will contain the names of candidates contesting the presidential election as well as those seeking seats in the Senate and House of Representatives.
With the August 29 deadline fast approaching, political parties are expected to conclude their nomination and substitution processes ahead of INEC’s publication of the final candidate lists.
