Politics

Full List of Candidates, Parties Who Won By-Elections as INEC Announces Winners

Published

5 months ago

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is set to release the final list of candidates contesting the February 6, 2027, governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections, with eight states excluded from the governorship poll. According to The Nation, the commission is scheduled to publish the final list on Saturday, October 10, 2026, in line with Section 32(1) of the Electoral Act 2026. The affected states are Edo, Bayelsa, Ondo, Ekiti, Osun, Imo, Anambra and Kogi, where governorship elections will not hold as part of the February 2027 electoral exercise because they operate on separate election schedules. INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed during a world press conference and stakeholders’ meeting that 21 of Nigeria’s 22 registered political parties nominated 936 governorship and deputy governorship candidates for the 28 states scheduled to elect governors in 2027. The parties also nominated 9,692 candidates for the State Houses of Assembly elections. Section 32(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 requires INEC to publish the names and addresses of nominated candidates at least 60 days before an election. The law also provides a procedure for political parties to notify the commission if a candidate’s name is missing from the published list. Under Section 32(2), such notification must be submitted in writing, signed by the party’s national chairman and secretary, and supported by an affidavit within 14 days of publication. Meanwhile, governorship elections are expected to take place in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers, Delta, Enugu, Ebonyi, Abia, Niger, Nasarawa, Kwara, Benue, Plateau, Yobe, Borno, Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Kebbi, Zamfara and Sokoto states. Although governorship elections will not take place in the eight excluded states during the February 2027 exercise, State House of Assembly elections are scheduled across all 36 states. The commission’s final list is expected to provide further details of the candidates and political parties participating in the elections. INEC had earlier set September 19, 2026, as the deadline for substituting candidates and September 26, 2026, as the final date for submitting nomination forms. The publication of the final list will be an important step in preparations for the 2027 elections, as political parties and candidates move towards the next phase of campaigning.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared winners in several federal and state constituency by-elections conducted across parts of the country on Saturday.

The results announced so far show that the All Progressive Congress won most constituencies and senatorial districts, while PDP secured victory only in Rivers South-East.

Below is a summary of the results as announced by INEC returning officers.

Enugu

APC’s candidate, Ikeje Asogwa, emerged winner of the Enugu North Senatorial District by-election.

Asogwa polled 162,360 votes to defeat his closest rival, Chief Nestor Ezeme of PDP, who scored 9,299 votes.

The by-election was conducted to replace the late Senator Okey Ezea, who died on November 18, 2025, at the age of 62.

Kebbi

INEC declared Rabiu Garba Aiki of the APC winner of the Zuru State Constituency by-election into the Kebbi State House of Assembly.

Aiki polled 4,887 votes to defeat Aliyu Galadima Muhammad of the Labour Party (LP), who scored 168 votes.

The seat became vacant following the death of the former Speaker of the Kebbi State House of Assembly, Muhammad Usman Zuru.

Kano

INEC also declared Rabiu Shuaibu of the APC winner of the Dawakin Kudu/Warawa Federal Constituency by-election in Kano State.

Shuaibu polled 35,356 votes to defeat Lawal Garba-Haruna of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), who scored 268 votes, and Abubakar Yahaya-Muhammad of the Labour Party (LP), who scored 98 votes.

The by-election was conducted following the death of Muhammad Danjuma-Hassan of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

Rivers

PDP’s candidate, Olaka Nwogu, was declared winner of the Rivers South-East Senatorial District by-election.

Nwogu polled 47,961 votes to defeat Osar Erewari of APC, who scored 1,647 votes.

The election was conducted following the death of Senator Barry Mpigi in February.

Ondo

Dayo Faduyile of the APC won the Ondo South Senatorial District by-election.

Faduyile polled 68,474 votes to defeat Adeolu Akinwunmi of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), who scored 1,411 votes.

The election followed the appointment of Senator Jimoh Ibrahim as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

As of the time of filing this report, INEC has not announced the results of Nasarawa North Senatorial District by-election.

The poll is being conducted across Nasarawa Eggon, Akwanga and Wamba local government areas to fill the vacant seat left by the late Senator Godiya Akwashiki, who died after a prolonged illness.