The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will publish the final list of candidates for the February 6, 2027 Governorship and State House of Assembly elections on Saturday, October 10, 2026. This was confirmed by INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan, as reported by The Nation and TVC News on Friday, October 9.
Legal Requirement and Release Date
The publication is mandated under section 32(1) of the 2026 Electoral Act, which requires INEC to display, at least 60 days before polling day, the full names and addresses of all nominated candidates at its offices and on its official website. The February 2027 elections will be held in 28 states for governorship positions, while State House of Assembly elections will take place in all 36 states, with the Federal Capital Territory excluded since it is served by the National Assembly at the federal level.
Professor Amupitan, speaking at a recent World Press Conference and stakeholders meeting, said 21 of the 22 registered political parties submitted nominations for the governorship elections. A total of 936 Governorship and Deputy Governorship candidates were nominated across the 28 states, alongside 9,692 candidates for State House of Assembly seats. The one party that did not field candidates in either election could not be confirmed at the time of the report, and the breakdown of candidates by party was not immediately available.
States Holding Governorship Elections
Governorship elections will be conducted in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers, Delta, Enugu, Ebonyi, Abia, Niger, Nasarawa, Kwara, Benue, Plateau, Yobe, Borno, Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Kebbi, Zamfara and Sokoto states. The exercise will not take place in Edo, Bayelsa, Ondo, Ekiti, Osun, Imo, Anambra and Kogi states.
Deadlines and Substitution Rules
The deadline for parties to substitute candidates for both the governorship and state assembly races closed on September 19, 2026, while the final date for submitting the nomination form, Form EC 13A-E, was September 26, 2026. Once the final list is published on October 10, section 32(2) of the Electoral Act gives any registered political party that notices a missing candidate 14 days to notify the commission in writing. Such a notification must be signed by the party's National Chairman and Secretary, and supported with an affidavit.
Sources within INEC confirmed that officials have been compiling the candidate lists ahead of the scheduled release date. The publication is expected to provide clarity on the candidates who will contest the February 2027 elections, with the commission preparing to display the lists at its offices and online as required by law.
