Nigeria’s 36 governors control large budgets, appoint thousands of officials and dominate their states’ politics, and governorship elections are often fought harder than the presidential race. This page brings together elect.ng’s state-by-state histories of every governorship election since the return to civil rule in 1999, with the results, the court cases and the 2027 candidates. Choose a state below to read its full story.
How a governor is elected
A governorship candidate must win the highest number of valid votes and at least 25% of the votes in at least two-thirds of the state’s local government areas. If no candidate meets both tests, INEC holds a further vote. When the number of voters in cancelled polling units is larger than the winner’s margin, INEC declares the election inconclusive and holds a supplementary poll in those units, as happened in Kano, Sokoto, Bauchi and Adamawa in 2019 and in Adamawa and Kebbi in 2023.
A governor serves four years and can be elected twice. Results can be challenged at an election petition tribunal, then the Court of Appeal and, for governorship cases, the Supreme Court.
Off-cycle states
Most states vote together, in the general elections. Eight do not, because a court ruling or rerun moved the start of a governor’s term: Anambra (2006 and 2007 judgments), Edo (2008), Ondo (2009), Ekiti (2010), Osun (2010), Kogi (2008 rerun), Bayelsa (2008 rerun and 2012 ruling) and Imo (2020 Supreme Court judgment). Read more in off-cycle governorship elections, explained.
The other 28 states hold their next governorship elections on Saturday 6 February 2027, three weeks after the presidential vote of 16 January. See the 2027 election timetable.
The great realignment of 2025–2026
Between April 2025 and March 2026 governor after governor moved to the APC: from the PDP in Delta, Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Bayelsa, Rivers, Plateau, Taraba, Adamawa and Zamfara, and from the NNPP in Kano. By March 2026 the APC held 31 of the 36 governorships. Only Bauchi and Oyo (PDP), Abia (Labour Party), Anambra (APGA) and Osun (Accord) were outside it.
North-Central
| State | Governor (party, October 2026) | Next governorship election |
|---|---|---|
| Benue | Hyacinth Alia (APC) | 6 February 2027 |
| Kogi | Usman Ododo (APC) | Late 2027 (off-cycle) |
| Kwara | AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (APC), term-limited | 6 February 2027 |
| Nasarawa | Abdullahi Sule (APC), term-limited | 6 February 2027 |
| Niger | Umaru Bago (APC) | 6 February 2027 |
| Plateau | Caleb Mutfwang (APC) | 6 February 2027 |
North-East
| State | Governor (party, October 2026) | Next governorship election |
|---|---|---|
| Adamawa | Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (APC), term-limited | 6 February 2027 |
| Bauchi | Bala Mohammed (PDP), term-limited | 6 February 2027 |
| Borno | Babagana Zulum (APC), term-limited | 6 February 2027 |
| Gombe | Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya (APC), term-limited | 6 February 2027 |
| Taraba | Agbu Kefas (APC) | 6 February 2027 |
| Yobe | Mai Mala Buni (APC), term-limited | 6 February 2027 |
North-West
| State | Governor (party, October 2026) | Next governorship election |
|---|---|---|
| Jigawa | Umar Namadi (APC) | 6 February 2027 |
| Kaduna | Uba Sani (APC) | 6 February 2027 |
| Kano | Abba Kabir Yusuf (APC) | 6 February 2027 |
| Katsina | Dikko Umaru Radda (APC) | 6 February 2027 |
| Kebbi | Nasir Idris (APC) | 6 February 2027 |
| Sokoto | Ahmad Aliyu (APC) | 6 February 2027 |
| Zamfara | Dauda Lawal (APC) | 6 February 2027 |
South-East
| State | Governor (party, October 2026) | Next governorship election |
|---|---|---|
| Abia | Alex Otti (Labour Party) | 6 February 2027 |
| Anambra | Charles Soludo (APGA) | Late 2029 (off-cycle) |
| Ebonyi | Francis Nwifuru (APC) | 6 February 2027 |
| Enugu | Peter Mbah (APC) | 6 February 2027 |
| Imo | Hope Uzodimma (APC), term-limited | Late 2027 (off-cycle) |
South-South
| State | Governor (party, October 2026) | Next governorship election |
|---|---|---|
| Akwa Ibom | Umo Eno (APC) | 6 February 2027 |
| Bayelsa | Douye Diri (APC), term-limited | Late 2027 (off-cycle) |
| Cross River | Bassey Otu (APC) | 6 February 2027 |
| Delta | Sheriff Oborevwori (APC) | 6 February 2027 |
| Edo | Monday Okpebholo (APC) | 2028 (off-cycle) |
| Rivers | Siminalayi Fubara (APC) | 6 February 2027 |
South-West
| State | Governor (party, October 2026) | Next governorship election |
|---|---|---|
| Ekiti | Biodun Oyebanji (APC), term-limited | 2030 (off-cycle) |
| Lagos | Babajide Sanwo-Olu (APC), term-limited | 6 February 2027 |
| Ogun | Dapo Abiodun (APC), term-limited | 6 February 2027 |
| Ondo | Lucky Aiyedatiwa (APC) | 2028 (off-cycle) |
| Osun | Ademola Adeleke (Accord), term-limited | 2030 (off-cycle) |
| Oyo | Seyi Makinde (PDP), term-limited | 6 February 2027 |
Party labels show where each governor stood in October 2026, which is not always the party that won the last election. Each state page explains the switch. Spotted something out of date? Send a correction from the state’s page.
