2027: INEC Unveils Guber Candidates, Knowing Who ‘ll Win Already Playing Out

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published the personal particulars of candidates nominated by political parties for the 2027 governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.

The particulars, contained in Form EC9, were displayed at INEC offices across the country on Saturday, August 29, 2026.

The exercise is part of preparations for the February 6, 2027 governorship and State House of Assembly elections.

The publication allows political parties, candidates and members of the public to scrutinise the information submitted to the commission.

The governorship election will be held in 28 states, while State House of Assembly elections will take place across all 36 states.

However, the publication of the Form EC9 particulars should not be confused with the final list of candidates for the election.

The latest INEC display provides a clearer picture of the candidates submitted by the political parties, although changes arising from the electoral timetable and legal processes may still affect some entries.

Abia

In Abia State, the published candidate records currently show four candidates.

They are Governor Alex Chioma Otti of the Labour Party, Ceekay Igara, also listed under the Labour Party, Eric Opah of the APC and Kelechi Anosike of the PDP.

The appearance of two Labour Party names means the Abia list requires particular attention as the electoral process progresses.

Otti is seeking another term after winning the 2023 governorship election on the Labour Party platform. His performance in the last three and a half years has endeared him to over 80% of Abians.

The PDP is represented by Kelechi Anosike, while Eric Opah is the APC candidate.

Akwa Ibom

In Akwa Ibom State, five candidates are currently listed in the published candidate particulars.

They are Governor Umo Bassey Eno of the All Progressives Congress (APC),
Michael Bush of the Labour Party (LP), John James Akpanudoedehe of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Samuel Coffie Emem of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Jeremiah Akpan of the Democratic Labour Alliance (DLA).

Eno, who won the 2023 election on the PDP platform, is now seeking another term under the APC.

Akpanudoedehe, a former Senator and former APC national secretary, is the ADC candidate.

The published field makes the Akwa Ibom contest one of the closely watched governorship races in the South-South, as the entrance of a colossus media personnel, Michael Bush of the Labour Party who mobilizing under cover is said to be a dragnet fishing out political actors from the incumbent governor’s camp to his.
Nocturnal meetings are holding across the country and in the diaspora against governor Eno with most of his aides crawling in.

9newsng.com findings show that Governor Eno has lost support in Oron nation as a whole and from all his Ibibio kinsmen in all local Government Area they are. The most surprising of the people withdrawal of support is Eket, Ibeno, Esit Eket, Onna, Nsit Ubium in own LGA.

Rivers

Rivers State has one of the largest governorship fields, with 19 candidates listed by INEC.

The APC candidate is Kingsley Ogundu Chinda, while Gabriel Pidomson is listed for the ADC.

The PDP candidate is Samuel Soni Ejekwu, while Dumo Lulu-Briggs Owukori is the candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

Other candidates include Chibuzor Rani of Accord, Kenneth Tata of the Action Peoples Party (APP), Angel Lawson of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Benjamin Oli of the Boot Party (BP), and Warighani Zebulum of the DLA.

Also listed are Harry Minaibim of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), Gidiom Azimiku of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Nature Dumale Kiegha of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Harry Victor Godwin of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), and Omangima Obu of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

The list also contains Ivy West of the African Action Congress (AAC), Benjamin Israel Eke of the Action Alliance (AA), Georgewell Abiye of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Johnbull Obrasu of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), and Churchill Whyte of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).

The Rivers contest is expected to attract significant attention because of the state’s political importance and the large number of candidates.

But on the whole, analysts say the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Mr Nyesom Wike may largely influence the outcome of Rivers State gubernatorial election if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu escapes from the ongoing United States of America heroin trafficking trial which may frustrate his victory for second term.

Ebonyi

In Ebonyi State, INEC’s published candidate field contains three names.

They are incumbent Governor Francis Nwifuru of the APC, former PDP governorship candidate Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii of the PDP, and Splendor Oko Eze of the Labour Party.

Nwifuru is seeking another term after winning the 2023 governorship election.

Odii, who challenged Nwifuru in the previous election, is returning as the PDP candidate.

Oko Eze completes the three-candidate field currently reflected in the published records.

Lagos

Lagos has 10 governorship candidates listed in the published candidate particulars.

They are Adedeji Doherty of the PDP, Adeyemi Abiola Roseline of the APP, Femi Olaniyi of the SDP, Funso Doherty and Naheem Balogun of the NDC, Laja Adeoye of the APM, Obafemi Hamzat of the APC, Oluwadamola Adesoca Sol Nuyi of the AAC, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the ADC, and Robert Sowore of Accord.

Hamzat, the APC candidate and incumbent deputy governor, is seeking to succeed Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Rhodes-Vivour, who was the Labour Party candidate in the 2023 election, is contesting this time under the ADC.

The Lagos race is expected to be one of the most politically competitive and closely followed governorship contests in the country.

Oyo

In Oyo State, INEC’s published particulars show a broad field of candidates from several political parties.

The APC candidate is Senator Sharafadeen Alli, while Bimbo Adekanmbi is listed for the APM.

Oloye Adegboyega Taofeek Adegoke is the ADC candidate, while Hazeem Gbolarumi represents the PDP.

Other candidates listed include Yinusa Kazeem Ayandare of the PRP, Olasupo Olalekan Abdulsemiu of the AAC, Gbolagade Salami of APGA, Aderoju Okunlade Michael of the SDP and Hassan Waheed Olanrewaju of the ZLP.

The list also contains Kunle James Olatunji of the ADP, Kareem Thomson Sola of the LP, Tijani Ismaila Akinbode of the APP, Yusuf Akim Adebola of the NDC, Adedapo Adebiyi of the NNPP, Taofeek Adedamola Afolabi of the NRM and Taiwo Ibiyemi Otegbeye of the NDP.

INEC’s display of Adegoke’s Form EC9 is particularly significant because it settles, at least at the commission’s publication stage, competing claims over the authentic ADC governorship candidate in Oyo.

Adegoke emerged from an ADC primary supervised by INEC and secured 16,051 votes in the exercise.

Other states

Beyond the six states, INEC’s publication has also brought prominent candidates into clearer focus.

In Niger State, incumbent Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago is listed as the APC candidate.

In Gombe, former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami is listed as the PDP candidate.

In Kwara, State House of Assembly Speaker Yakubu Danladi-Salihu is the APC candidate.

In Nasarawa, former governorship candidate Emmanuel David Ombugadu is listed for the PDP, while Ahmed Aliyu Wadada is the APC candidate.

The Nasarawa list contains 15 candidates, with former Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Abubakar Adamu notably absent from the published governorship field.

The publication marks a major step in the countdown to the 2027 elections.

The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State House of Assembly elections will hold on February 6.

With the Form EC9 particulars now in the public domain, the major governorship contests across the 28 states are beginning to take a more definite shape.