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.

There are 8 affected states 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.

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.

new Senior Special Assistants (SSAs) and Special Assistants (SAs).

The Governor of Ondo State, His Excellency, Hon Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has approved the appointments of new Senior Special Assistants (SSAs) and Special Assistants (SAs).

The Governor also approved the appointment of Alhaji Moshood Kewuyemi as the Chief Imam of the Government House Mosque.

The new SSAs include:

Ms. Folashade Ogunoye, SSA Gender

Alhaji Aminu Saidi Tunde, SSA Islamic Religion Affairs

Rev. Tunde Ogunsuyi, SSA Christian Religion Affairs

Kemisola Obamoyegun, SSA Housing

Dr. Oluwatobi Aruwajoye, SSA Primary Health

Alhaja Mohammed Sikirat Idera, SSA Muslim Women Affairs

Mrs Ehuwa Victoria Olufunke, SSA Christian Women Affairs

Alhaja Fauzart Gidado, SSA Women Mobilisation (Central).

And, others.

The appointments take immediate effect.

The Labour Party’s youth leadership has initiated plans to engage the All Progressives Congress (APC) and organisations aligned with President Bola Tinubu over the possibility of cooperation before the 2027 presidential election.

The move followed a virtual meeting attended by the party’s National Youth Leader, Prince Kennedy Ahanotu, five zonal youth leaders and representatives of the youth leadership from 32 states.

A statement issued by Edo State Labour Party Youth Leader Ken Omusi and shared on the party’s official X account on Saturday said the meeting took place on Friday. Discussions focused on the party’s political future, its unresolved internal disputes and the need to strengthen youth involvement ahead of the 2027 polls.

The participants reportedly authorised Ahanotu to open discussions with the APC, the Renewed Hope Movement, the City Boy Movement and Tinubu Support Groups regarding possible cooperation ahead of the election.

The statement said several youth leaders complained that they had received little recognition, engagement or support during and after the 2023 general elections, despite campaigning for a presidential candidate they believed lacked the capacity to consolidate the party’s gains.

They said they were seeking a political arrangement and leadership framework capable of expanding youth participation, leadership opportunities, economic empowerment, and representation in national decision-making.

Following the deliberations, the youth leaders directed Ahanotu to immediately begin discussions with relevant representatives of the APC, the Renewed Hope Movement, the City Boy Movement and Tinubu Support Groups to assess the prospects of an alliance or other form of collaboration before 2027.

However, the statement clarified that the initiative had not produced any binding agreement. Any possible partnership would be considered after the consultations are completed.

The group also suggested holding an in-person meeting in Abuja to assess the discussions and decide on its subsequent political course.

The meeting examined several aspects of the Tinubu administration, including human capital development, youth programmes, economic policy, infrastructure, healthcare, education, security, agriculture and workers’ welfare. Participants reportedly offered varying assessments of the government’s policies and their effects.Bola Tinubu news

The City Boy Movement, which was listed among the groups to be contacted, presents itself as a youth-oriented organisation backing Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the APC. According to its official platform, the group concentrates on grassroots mobilisation, youth participation and support for the administration.

The development also unfolds amid Labour Party factional disputes. Ahanotu has been linked to the Julius Abure-led faction, which announced him as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election in May 2026.

In the 2023 presidential election, the Labour Party emerged as a significant opposition force. Its candidate, Peter Obi, placed third with 6,101,533 votes, based on results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The party also captured the Abia governorship and won several National Assembly seats in the same election.