No fewer than 52 serving senators in Nigeria’s 10th National Assembly are set to leave the Senate in June 2027 after failing to appear on the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) final list of candidates for the next National Assembly election.
INEC recently released the final list of candidates for the January 16, 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections.
The list showed that while about 57 members of the current Senate secured their political parties’ tickets to seek re-election, 52 serving senators were not included.
The affected lawmakers will therefore not return to the Senate in the 11th National Assembly unless changes are made to the candidates’ list in accordance with the Electoral Act 2026.
The senators’ failure to secure return tickets was caused by different political circumstances. While some lost their party primaries, others voluntarily pursued different political positions, particularly governorship seats.
Some also stepped aside as part of political agreements with governors or other influential stakeholders in their states.
In Ogun State, Senator Ademola Solomon Olamilekan, who chairs the Senate Committee on Appropriations, will not return to the Senate after securing the APC governorship ticket.
Former Ogun State Governor, Gbenga Daniel, will also leave the Senate after Governor Dapo Abiodun emerged as the APC candidate for the Ogun East senatorial seat.
In Nasarawa State, Senator Aliyu Wadada, a former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, is also pursuing the governorship after obtaining the APC ticket.
Senator Osita Izunaso is another lawmaker who will not return to the Senate after his Imo West senatorial ticket was reportedly ceded to Governor Hope Uzodinma.
Similar political arrangements have affected senatorial seats in states including Yobe and Gombe.
Former Sokoto State Governor and ex-presidential aspirant, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, is also among the senators set to leave the chamber. He reportedly stepped aside for a younger aspirant as part of a power-sharing arrangement within the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Meanwhile, 57 serving senators have secured their parties’ tickets and remain in the race for the 11th National Assembly.
In Lagos State, Senators Adetokunbo Abiru, Adebule Idiat Oluranti and Sanni Eshilokun secured tickets to contest the Lagos East, Lagos West and Lagos Central senatorial seats respectively.
All three serving senators from Ekiti State also secured return tickets. They are Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, Yemi Adaramodu and Fasuyi Cyril Oluwole.
Akwa Ibom State will also have its three serving senators seeking re-election. They are Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Aniekan Bassey and Ekong Sampson.
The three serving senators from Borno State, including Mohammed Ali Ndume, are also among those cleared to contest the 2027 election.
However, the current list may still change under the Electoral Act 2026.
Section 31 permits a candidate to withdraw from an election by submitting a written notice and sworn affidavit to the political party that nominated the candidate. The party is required to forward the documents to INEC within the period prescribed by law.
Section 33 also provides limited circumstances for candidate substitution, particularly where a candidate dies or withdraws, subject to the requirements of the law.
With the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, further withdrawals or lawful substitutions could still affect some of the candidates currently listed by INEC.
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