The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will publish the final list of candidates contesting the 2027 governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections on Saturday, October 10, 2026.
The publication will mark an important process in the commission’s preparations for the 2027 general elections, with political parties expected to have their candidates formally confirmed for the state-level contests.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed the development during a world press conference as the commission entered the final 100-day stretch to the 2027 elections, according to a statement issued by the commission on Wednesday on X.
The commission also provided updates on the number of political parties that have submitted candidates, the voter register, Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), election technology and funding.
According to INEC, 21 of the 22 registered political parties nominated candidates for the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.
The parties submitted 936 governorship and deputy governorship candidates and 9,692 candidates for the various State House of Assembly seats.
The commission had earlier published the personal particulars of the nominated candidates as required under the electoral timetable.
The final list is expected to reflect subsequent withdrawals, substitutions and other changes that occurred during the nomination process.
INEC said the final publication would also take account of issues arising from the nomination process, including complaints and legal developments affecting some candidates and political parties.
The commission disclosed that it had received 112 formal complaints from aspirants, candidates and political parties over the nomination process.
The complaints covered issues such as alleged unlawful withdrawal and substitution of candidates, errors in submitted information and other legal matters.
Amupitan said most of the complaints had been investigated and resolved, except those still before the courts.
INEC has scheduled the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections for February 6, 2027. The presidential and National Assembly elections will hold earlier, on January 16, 2027.
The electoral body also gave an update on the presidential race, saying 18 of Nigeria’s 22 registered political parties submitted a total of 36 presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
The final list for the presidential election has already been released, while the National Assembly final candidate list was published on September 12, 2026.
“18 of the 22 registered political parties submitted 36 presidential and vice-presidential candidates, while the Final List of Candidates for the National Assembly was published on 12th September 2026. The final list for governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates will be published on 10th October 2026,” INEC said.
The October 10 publication is therefore expected to complete the major phase of candidate-list publications for the 2027 general elections.
Beyond the candidates, INEC is also preparing for a significant increase in the number of registered voters.
Amupitan disclosed that the three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise produced 10,772,421 new registrations.
Following verification and the final biometric clean-up of the register, the national voter register has now risen above 103 million.
The increase represents a major expansion from the 93,469,008 registered voters recorded for the 2023 general elections.
INEC said the updated register will be displayed for public scrutiny from October 9 to October 15, 2026.
The exercise is expected to give registered voters an opportunity to check their details and raise claims or objections where necessary.
The commission will also commence the distribution of Phase One Permanent Voter Cards on October 9. The cards will be distributed to Local Government centres for collection by eligible voters.
“The register will be displayed for public scrutiny from 9th to 15th October 2026, while distribution of Phase 1 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to Local Government centres will begin on Friday, 9th October,” the commission stated.
The PVC distribution is coming as INEC continues to introduce measures aimed at making voter registration and access to election materials easier.
The commission has also deployed a printable PVC technology, which was tested during the Osun governorship election.
The technology is intended to provide an alternative for eligible voters who need new or replacement cards.
INEC is equally expanding its technological capacity ahead of the 2027 polls.
The commission has disclosed plans to acquire 57,000 new Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices as part of preparations for the general elections.
The electoral body has said the devices are being subjected to software and hardware checks, including biometric calibration and battery optimisation, as part of efforts to ensure that the accreditation process works effectively on election day.
Amupitan also said INEC was working on improving the electronic management and transmission of election results.
INEC has maintained that its preparations are guided by the revised electoral timetable and the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
Amupitan has also assured Nigerians and the international community of the commission’s commitment to neutrality and the integrity of the electoral process as the country moves closer to the 2027 polls.
