2027: INEC Says States To Publish Governorship, Assembly Candidates’ Lists

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said the release of the final lists of candidates for the 2027 governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections is the responsibility of its state offices, as the process falls within their respective constituencies.

The clarification comes amid attention to the publication of the final lists of candidates for the forthcoming general elections, with some states already making their lists public.

An INEC official, who spoke to LEADERSHIP on Saturday on condition of anonymity, said the commission’s Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) were already in possession of the relevant documents and were responsible for unveiling them in their respective states.

The official explained that the process was similar to the release of the final lists of presidential and National Assembly candidates by the commission’s national headquarters in Abuja.

Responding to reports that Gombe, Ogun and Nasarawa states had released their lists, the official said the documents were no longer in the custody of the national headquarters but had been sent to the relevant state offices.

“Well, you have said Gombe, Ogun and Nasarawa states have been released. Yes, you may be right, but, as I told you, INEC headquarters is not in custody of the documents. They are already with the state offices,” the official said.

The source added that the documents had been transmitted to the respective states for publication, stressing that their release was not dependent on physical transportation from Abuja.

“I will also like to let you know that those documents were not something that needed to be transported on the road. They have been sent to the various constituencies to be unveiled,” the official added.

The official further expressed the expectation that more states would publish their final lists on Monday, noting that the responsibility now rested with the state offices where the candidates would contest the elections.

“Many will probably be released on Monday. It is no longer with us in Abuja; it is with the states where the candidates are going to contest the election,” the source said.