The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is set to publish the names of candidates nominated by political parties for the February 6, 2027 governorship and State House of Assembly elections on Saturday, August 29.
Governorship elections will be conducted in 28 states, while State House of Assembly polls will take place across all 36 states of the federation.
According to INEC’s electoral timetable, the governorship election will hold in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Delta, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Enugu, Ebonyi, Abia, Kwara, Benue, Plateau, Niger and Nasarawa states.
Other states scheduled to hold governorship elections are Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi and Sokoto.
However, governorship elections will not take place in Ondo, Osun, Ekiti, Edo, Bayelsa, Anambra, Imo and Kogi states because their elections were conducted at different times under Nigeria’s staggered electoral cycle.
INEC said publishing the candidate lists is part of preparations for the 2027 general elections and will give political parties, candidates and members of the public an opportunity to check the details submitted to the commission.
The 22 registered political parties are expected to nominate new governorship candidates in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Yobe, Borno, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Kwara and Nasarawa, where the tenure of the incumbent governors will end in 2027.
The commission also expects parties participating in the presidential and National Assembly elections to submit their final candidate lists by Saturday, August 29.
The deadline comes after the August 22 cut-off date for candidates wishing to withdraw from the 2027 elections.
Section 31 of the Electoral Act 2026 provides that a candidate seeking to withdraw must submit a written notice, signed by the candidate and accompanied by an affidavit, directly to the political party that nominated them.
The provision establishes a formal procedure for candidates who decide to pull out after securing their party’s nomination.
INEC is scheduled to publish the final list of presidential and National Assembly candidates on Saturday, September 12.
The publication will cover candidates contesting the presidency, Senate and House of Representatives.
With the August 29 deadline drawing closer, political parties are expected to complete their nomination and substitution processes ahead of INEC’s publication of the final candidate lists.
The February 6, 2027 governorship and State House of Assembly elections will be a key part of the broader programme for the 2027 general elections.
