INEC's final lists name 420 governorship candidates across 28 states for February 2027
The field for the 6 February 2027 governorship elections is now set, ranging from 8 tickets in Cross River to 20 in Akwa Ibom.
Key findings
- INEC's final lists name 420 governorship tickets across 28 states, an average of 15 per state.
- Akwa Ibom has the most crowded race, with 20 tickets, followed by Rivers and Taraba with 19 each.
- Cross River has the smallest field, with 8 tickets.
- Governorship candidates on the lists range in published age from 35 to 76.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) published the final lists of candidates for the 2027 governorship elections on 10 October 2026. The lists cover all 28 states whose governorship polls fall in the general election cycle, and together they name 420 tickets, each a governorship candidate and a running mate.
The size of the field varies widely. Akwa Ibom has the longest list, with 20 tickets, followed by Rivers and Taraba with 19 each. Cross River has the shortest, with 8. The average is 15 tickets per state. The governorship candidates range in published age from 35 to 76.
INEC also published its final list of candidates for the 2027 State House of Assembly elections, which hold on the same day as the governorship polls. The governorship and assembly elections are scheduled for 6 February 2027, three weeks after the presidential and National Assembly elections on 16 January 2027.
- Governorship tickets
- 420
- Largest field
- 20
- Smallest field
- 8
| State | Tickets |
|---|---|
| Akwa Ibom | 20 |
| Rivers | 19 |
| Taraba | 19 |
| Adamawa | 18 |
| Delta | 18 |
| Kano | 17 |
| Lagos | 17 |
| Plateau | 17 |
| Sokoto | 17 |
| Enugu | 16 |
| Gombe | 16 |
| Kaduna | 16 |
| Oyo | 16 |
| Abia | 15 |
| Bauchi | 15 |
| Niger | 15 |
| Zamfara | 15 |
| Kebbi | 14 |
| Borno | 13 |
| Jigawa | 13 |
| Nasarawa | 13 |
| Ogun | 13 |
| Yobe | 13 |
| Benue | 12 |
| Ebonyi | 12 |
| Kwara | 12 |
| Katsina | 11 |
| Cross River | 8 |
Why it matters
The final list is the point at which the ballot is fixed. Until now, the shape of each state race could only be inferred from party primaries and press reports. From here, any change to a ticket runs through the courts or through INEC's rules on withdrawal and substitution, and each state's ballot paper will carry the parties named on these lists.
A long list does not by itself mean a competitive race. The lists do, however, set the scale of the logistical task in each state, from ballot design to the number of party agents at each polling unit.
What to watch
- Revised lists, if court orders or substitutions change any ticket before polling day.
- INEC's final voter register for 2027 and the pace of PVC collection in each state.
- Campaign spending and state budgets in the run-up to February.
SourceGovernorship Election 2027: Final List of Candidates (one document per state) (opens in a new tab)INECThe governorship lists, one document per state.
Methodology
Ticket counts are read from INEC's final lists of candidates for the 2027 governorship elections, published on 10 October 2026 and parsed by Dataminal one document per state. Each list has two rows per ticket, a candidate and a running mate, so tickets are the rows divided by two; the average divides the total by the 28 states that vote. Ages are as INEC published them. Election dates are from INEC's election calendar.