• [L-R] A collage of Soludo, Adeleke and Wike

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has named Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT); Ademola Adeleke, Osun governor; and Chukwuma Soludo, Anambra governor, as state campaign coordinators in its expanded presidential campaign council for the 2027 general election.

This is despite their affiliations with other political parties.

Wike belongs to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Soludo is a member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), while Adeleke won re-election as Osun governor in 2026 under the Accord Party.

Under the new arrangement, Wike will coordinate the APC campaign in Rivers State and the FCT, Soludo will oversee Anambra, while Adeleke will coordinate the campaign in Osun.

The expanded list is scheduled for inauguration by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday.

The APC initially released its campaign council list on August 22, naming Abdulaziz Yari, former Zamfara governor, as director-general. Senate President Godswill Akpabio, House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and Yobe Governor Mai Mala Buni were appointed deputy director-generals.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has raised the alarm over a fraudulent publication circulating online that claims to be a special announcement about governorship candidates for the 2027 elections.

In a public notice issued on Monday, October 12, 2026, the electoral body described the document as “FAKE” and stressed that it did not originate from the Commission.

The circulating material purports to address issues affecting the list of governorship candidates in six states: Zamfara, Gombe, Delta, Plateau, Yobe, and Kano.

“The Commission wishes to categorically inform the general public that the publication is FAKE and did not originate from INEC. INEC therefore urges members of the public to disregard the fraudulent publication and refrain from sharing it,” the notice stated.

INEC further clarified that any information suggesting it has issued a special announcement concerning governorship candidates in those states is false.

The warning comes just days after the Commission published the final lists of candidates for the February 6, 2027 governorship elections.

The electoral umpire advised Nigerians, political parties, and candidates to rely solely on official notices, press releases, and information released through its verified channels.

These include the INEC website (inecnigeria.org), its Facebook page (INEC Nigeria), X and Instagram handles (@inecnigeria), and the INEC News Portal.

INEC reiterated its commitment to providing accurate electoral information and called on the public to remain vigilant against misleading publications as preparations for the 2027 elections intensify.

Twenty one political parties are fielding 119 women for governorship elections in next year’s poll, data from the INEC reveals

However, 936 governorship candidates and running mates are on the ballot for the February 6, 2027 poll across 28 states.

Also, out of 10,020 candidates for the House of Assembly, 1,016 are women.

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate in Adamawa state, Senator Aishatu Dahiru Binani, is the highest ranking woman on the list.

According to the list, 25 women are contesting for governor in 15 states, while there is no female candidates in 13 states.

The statistics show that 94 women across 26 states are running mates.

But there is no female governorship and deputy governorship candidate in Jigawa and Katsina states.

States with female governorship candidates are Akwa Ibom (five candidates), Ebonyi (three) Cross River, Adamawa, Delta, Lagos (two each), while Plateau, Abia, Bauchi, Benue, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Ogun and Rivers have one female candidate each.

Ogun State takes the lead with 10 deputy governorship candidates, followed by Plateau and Lagos with nine women, Akwa Ibom; eight Rivers; six, Oyo, Kaduna, Enugu with five each; Abia, Adamawa, Ebonyi, Taraba; four each, Niger and Delta; three each, Gombe, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara; two each, while Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Kano, Kwara, Nasarawa and Yobe have one each.

The women governorship candidates are Doris Uzumma Umezurike (AAC, Abia), Chigbe Chioma Vivian -NRM and Joelyne Ita Hogan Bassey – ADP (Cross River); Bingel Hurung Philomina- ADP (Plateau); Aishatu Dahiru Binani-NDC and Samuel Faith Monday-NRM (Adamawa); Achibong Inimbom Nsikak-ADP, Jimmy Stella Monday-APGA, Emem Umoh-APP, Effiong Asuomo Rosemary-SDP and Umo Blessing Okon-ZLP (Akwa Ibom) and Babageidam Lami- ZLP (Bauchi).

Others are Ujah Mercy Engole-APP (Benue); Mohammed Jemila-YPP (Kaduna); Ahmed Furera-BP (Kano); Jayeola Monturayo-APM (Kwara); Adeyemi Abiola-APP and Peter Helen Ojoyule-ZLP (Lagos), Layi Labode Halima-APP (Ogun); West Ivy-AAC (Rivers); James Esther-LP and Iyovwaye Chris-NDC (Delta); Nwodum Lucy Chinwe-APGA, Nwankwo Martha Ebere-APP and Nwinyinya Juliet-ZLP (Ebonyi).