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The Independent National Electoral Commission has released the names and particulars of governorship candidates and their running mates for the 2027 elections across 28 states. The details, contained in Form EC9, were displayed at INEC offices, formally confirming the candidates who will contest the governorship and state House of Assembly elections scheduled for February 6, 2027. Major parties including the APC, PDP, ADC, NDC and APM feature prominently on the lists.
Among the notable contests, Lagos has 17 candidates, including APC’s Obafemi Hamzat and ADC’s Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, while Kaduna Governor Uba Sani faces 17 challengers. Rivers and Bauchi each have 19 candidates, with Ogun recording 13 and Kwara 12. Other high-profile races include Benue, where Governor Hyacinth Alia faces five challengers, and Ebonyi, where Governor Francis Nwifuru will again face former rival Ifeanyi Odii.
INEC also disclosed that sensitive election materials, including ballot papers and result sheets, will be printed locally and delivered to the Central Bank of Nigeria for safekeeping before distribution. The commission said preparations for non-sensitive materials and BVAS machines are already underway, although the shortened electoral timetable remains a major challenge. Campaigns for the governorship and state assembly elections are expected to begin in September 2026.
