No fewer than 75 serving members of the 10th National Assembly are set to leave the Senate and House of Representatives at the expiration of the current assembly on June 13, 2027, following their absence from the final list of candidates for the January 16, 2027 National Assembly elections.
The list, released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the weekend, shows that 52 serving senators and 23 members of the House of Representatives are not currently listed as candidates for the forthcoming elections.
Their exclusion means the lawmakers are, under the present configuration, not returning to the National Assembly after the expiration of their current tenure, although subsequent withdrawals, substitutions or other legally permissible developments could still alter the list.
The affected lawmakers are missing from the race for different reasons, including defeats at party primaries, successful appeals that resulted in their replacement, voluntary withdrawal, political realignments and decisions to pursue other elective offices.
In several states, serving governors have also emerged as major beneficiaries of the battle for senatorial tickets, displacing incumbent lawmakers in the process.
In Ogun State, former governor Gbenga Daniel will not return to the Senate to represent Ogun East after Governor Dapo Abiodun emerged as the candidate for the seat. Similarly, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, will not seek another Senate term after securing the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket in the state.
Nasarawa State has witnessed a similar development, with Senator Aliyu Wadada, former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, shifting his political focus to the governorship after securing the APC ticket for the 2027 election.
In Imo State, Governor Hope Uzodimma secured the APC senatorial ticket for Imo West, previously held by Senator Osita Izunaso, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Capital Market. The development has effectively halted Izunaso’s bid to return to the Senate under the current arrangement.
Similar movements have reportedly occurred in Yobe and Gombe states, among others, where serving governors entered senatorial contests and secured tickets previously associated with incumbent lawmakers.
Former Sokoto State Governor and Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal is also among those not returning to the Senate under the current arrangement. Tambuwal stepped aside from the senatorial contest to pave the way for a younger aspirant as part of a power-sharing arrangement within the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In Yobe State, Senator Musa Mustapha, representing Yobe East, also stepped down from the contest to allow Governor Mai Mala Buni to emerge unopposed as the APC senatorial candidate.
Reps’ Leadership Suffers Major Casualties
The House of Representatives has also recorded significant departures from its current leadership and membership.
Among those whose names are absent from the current list are Majority Leader Julius Ihonvbere of Edo State, who lost at the party primaries; former Deputy Majority Leader Peter Akpatason, also from Edo; Deputy Chief Whip Isiaka Adegboyega of Ogun State; and Nicholas Mutu of Delta State, the longest-serving member of the House, whose tenure spans the period from 1999 to 2027.
Others include Minority Leader Fredrick Agbedi of Bayelsa; Minority Whip Mansur Manu Soro of Bauchi; Deputy Minority Leader Abdussamad Dasuki of Sokoto; Chris Nkwonta of Ukwa East/West Federal Constituency, Abia State; Kobis Ari Thimnu of Guyuk/Shelleng Federal Constituency, Adamawa State; Obiageli Orogbu of Awka North/South, Anambra State; Marie Ebikake of Bayelsa; and Zainab Gimba of Borno State.
Also affected are Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, Iduma Igariwey of Ebonyi State; Ngozi Okolie of Delta State; Matthew Nwogu of Imo State; Chairman of the House Committee on Women Affairs, Kafilat Ogbara of Lagos State; Jonathan Gaza Gbefwi of Nasarawa State; Daniel Asama Ago and Alfred Iliya Ajang, both of Plateau State; Awaji-Inombek Abiante of Rivers State; and former minister Khadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim of Yobe State.
Withdrawal, Substitution Could Reopen Race
Despite their exclusion from INEC’s current final list, the political fate of some of the affected lawmakers may not yet be completely settled.
Provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 dealing with withdrawal and substitution could create a limited legal avenue for changes to the candidates’ list where the statutory conditions are met.
Section 31 of the Act provides for the withdrawal of candidates, stating that a candidate may withdraw by submitting a written notice, accompanied by a sworn affidavit, personally to the political party that nominated the candidate.
The party is required to transmit the withdrawal notice and sworn affidavit to INEC not later than 90 days before the election.
Section 33, which governs substitution, provides that a political party shall not change or substitute a candidate whose name has already been submitted under Section 29, except in cases involving the death or withdrawal of the candidate and subject to the conditions prescribed by law.
The provisions consequently leave a narrow window through which a vacancy created by a lawful withdrawal could result in the substitution of another candidate.
Meanwhile, Section 32(1) requires INEC to publish the full names and addresses of all candidates standing nominated at least 60 days before election day.
With the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, further changes to the current candidate configuration could therefore still occur within the period allowed by the Electoral Act.
