2027: Meet the Contenders for Nigeria’s Presidency, Governorships

Our Correspondents

With the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for Saturday, January 16, 2027, and the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections fixed for Saturday, February 6, 2027, political parties have begun positioning their candidates for what is expected to be one of Nigeria’s most keenly contested electoral cycles.

In this first series, THISDAY presents a guide to the presidential and governorship candidates contained in the material published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), providing voters with a state-by-state overview of the governorship contenders and the political parties under which they are seeking election.
The presidential list contains 19 candidates, while the governorship lists cover the 28 states, with the number of candidates varying from state to state.

However, the lists should not be regarded as final as there remains a window for changes to governorship candidates, including the replacement of candidates. Consequently, the names and party affiliations could still change before the final lists are published. However, in some states, we encountered difficulties in accessing the complete list of parties contesting the elections, as some INEC officials declined to release the information.

Governorship Candidates

Abia State
Thirteen political parties are fielding candidates in the state including the incumbent, Alex Otti. The election appears to have attracted a lot of contenders covering the major political parties.

Adamawa State  
Fourteen parties are in the contest for who holds the levers of power come February next year though the incumbent governor will not be on the ballot. Most of the political parties have their candidates though they are all fresh contenders.

Akwa Ibom
Akwa Ibom State has 21 governorship candidates, making the race one of the most crowded in the 2027 elections. Interestingly, the number of governorship contenders in the state is even higher than the number of candidates contesting the presidential election.

Bauchi State
The state parades 19 contestants with all the major parties represented. However, the current Governor, Bala Mohammed has completed his second term thereby leaving the turf open for all the contenders though party influence might play a role in the contest.

Benue
The state parades six parties and their candidates with the incumbent seeking a second term. Most of the major parties will be on the ballot.

Borno
Borno State currently parades 10 governorship candidates, all jostling for the Government House in February 2027.

Cross River
Twelve political parties joined the fray for the guber contest where the incumbent will be vying to retain his seat for a second term.

Delta
Delta State parades seven contestants with the incumbent governor also seeking re-election. All the major parties are involved in the contest.

Ebonyi
Eleven governorship candidates are in the race for Ebonyi State Government House in February.

Enugu
Enugu State currently has 15 governorship candidates vying for the Government House in the February election. The contest is expected to be keenly fought as the parties seek to secure the state’s top political sea

Gombe
Gombe state currently has five candidates contesting the governorship election in February next year.

Jigawa
Fourteen political parties are confirmed to be contesting the 2027 polls in the state where the son of a former governor is also in the fray.

Kaduna
Kaduna State currently has 10 governorship candidates jostling for the Government House in the 2027 election. The contenders are expected to intensify their campaigns as they seek to unseat the incumbent and win the state’s top political seat.

Kano
Kano demonstrated its political sophistication with the varied interest on the polls as 19 parties and candidates fielded candidates for the governorship position. Here, the incumbent is also in the contest where he would be testing his political weight against his erstwhile benefactor who is also in another party as Vice Presidential candidate

Katsina
THISDAY gathered that Katsina currently has four candidates vying for the governorship election.

Kebbi State
Five political parties are fielding candidates and therefore in the contest. Five parties are considered as front runners.

Kwara
Kwara parades 13 political parties with their standard bearers where the incumbent is has completed his second term and would not be on the ballot. Major political parties are represented.

Lagos State
The center of excellence parades 10 candidates in 9 political parties for the contest in a state where a particular party has held sway for decades. Interestingly, INEC has two names for the NDC on its lists. However, all the major parties are in the contest so the election won’t be a mere walkover as always obtains.

Nasarawa State  
The state parades 14 standard bearers covering most of the major political parties. The current Governor, Abdullahi Sule has concluded his second term and is making way for all fresh contestants.

Niger State
The state parades more contestants in the election as 15 political parties are fielding candidates in the February 6 contest with 16 political parties registering their candidates for the election.

Ogun State
Ogun parades 13 political parties though the incumbent is not going to be on the ballot. All the major political parties and those even considered not too entrenched are going to be on the ballot

Oyo
Oyo State currently has 16 governorship candidates contesting the February 6, 2027 election, representing a broad range of political parties. The large field reflects the competitive nature of the race as the contenders seek to take control of the Oyo State Government House.

Plateau
Plateau State is set for a competitive 2027 governorship election, with candidates emerging from major political parties with 20 candidates.

Rivers
The number of contestants in Rivers State points to the level of interest in the control of power in the oil rich state as 20 parties and their candidates are listed to be vying for the position of governor. The incumbent who was shunted aside is however not going for a second term which makes the contest an open one though with a caveat because of political structures and control system in place.

Sokoto State
THISDAY gathered that five political parties are contesting in Sokoto for the February polls. For a politically active and aware state, the number appears either small or incomplete but the parties listed below will be angling for the control of the state come next year.

Taraba
Taraba State currently has 19 governorship candidates jostling for the Government House in the 2027 election, reflecting a competitive race involving several political parties. The large number of contenders highlights the growing political interest in the state ahead of the February 2027 poll.

Yobe:
The race for Yobe’s Government House has attracted 14 governorship candidates ahead of the February 2027 election.

Zamfara
 THISDAY gathered that five parties have candidates in the February polls covering the major political parties in Zamfara State.