JOHN AMEH, of our Abuja Bureau, writes on the fallout of the release of the notice of the 2027 elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), reporting that no fewer than 12 serving senators have thrown their hats into the gubernatorial rings, ahead of the forthcoming polls.
THE announcement of the notice of elections for the 2027 polls by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has already ignited actions on the political front, and one of the locations, expectedly, is the Senate of the Federal Republic, where no fewer than 12 of the serving lawmakers have signalled their intent to seek governorship seats in the forthcoming election.
Investigations by Tribune Politics confirmed that with the publication of the notice of elections, the lawmakers who are seeking to change gear have intensified grassroots mobilisation. Investigations indicate that the senators are spread across the zones, including the North-West, North-East, North-Central, and South-West. There are no clear indications that any of the Senators in the South -East and South-South are eyeing the governorship seats yet, though sources said it might be early in the day.
According to sources close to many of the Senators, the recent publication of the notice of election for the 2027 polls by INEC has served as a wake-up call for politicians who are angling for elective positions, especially key ones like the presidency, governorship, the Senate, and the House of Representatives.
Findings revealed that the timetable by INEC leaves office seekers with barely enough time, with the conduct of party primaries, including resolution of disputes arising from the primaries, commencing in less than two months on 23rd April 2026 and ending on 30th May 2026.
Presidential and National Assembly campaigns will commence on 19th August 2026, while those of the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly will commence on 9th September 2026.
One area generating attention, according to findings, is the number of senators eyeing the governorship seat in their respective states, with several of them lately openly declaring their intention to run in 2027.
The Kwara State scenario
Leading the pack is Kwara State, where all three serving senators want to succeed Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in 2027. The Senators include Lola Ashiru (Kwara South), Saliu Mustapha (Kwara Central), and Umar Sadiq Suleiman (Kwara North)
Of the Kwara trio, the most audacious so far is seen as the Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Lola Ashiru (Kwara South, APC), who publicly declared his governorship bid while hosting journalists in Offa, emphasising his credentials and experience.
Ashiru declared his interest on Sunday, 7 February 2026, when he hosted the executive members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kwara State, at his country home in Offa.
He said, “I have come into this race. Before now, I have not come out to say I will contest, but in sha Allah, I am going to contest because I believe I have the best of credentials to rule Kwara State for the next four years starting in 2027, and I believe I probably understand the people and the place called Kwara because I have been here longer than any contestant.”
The senator also framed his ambition as a bid to promote good governance and improve the welfare of the people, stressing that the governorship should be decided on merit rather than zoning.
However, being a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Ashiru has other contenders -Senator Umar Sadiq Suleiman (Kwara-North) and Senator Saliu Mustapha (Kwara-Central) -to square up with for the ticket of the party.
Investigations showed that Senator Mustapha, who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Production Services and Rural Development, and serves as the Vice‑Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), has intensified community mobilisation and empowerment programmes lately across the state. His ultimate goal is the Kwara State House.
Senator Adeola Solomon Olamilekan (Ogun State)
The man who is also known as Yayi crossed from representing Lagos West to being the Senator representing Ogun West. He is also the Chairman of the Senate committee on Appropriations.
One lawmaker who has not hidden his ambition to be governor is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Adeola Solomon Olamilekan.
The Ogun-West senator, better known as ‘Yayi’, has been aiming to be the governor of Ogun State since 2019. His major strategy has been massive empowerment programmes, cutting across Lagos (where he once represented at the National Assembly) and Ogun states.
It was gathered that over 15,000 residents in five local governments (Yewa-South, Yewa-North, Ipokia, Imeko Afon, Ado‑Odo/Ota) received training in vocations such as leatherworks, tailoring, sewing, confectioneries, ICT, and the agricultural value chain, with cash grants reportedly totaling about N1billion under one of the phases of his N3billion Ogun-West Empowerment Programme.
Also in 2022, Senator Adeola conducted multiple programmes in Lagos-West, training and equipping around 3,000 youths and women in trades such as leatherwork, fashion, hairdressing, barbing, interior decoration, event planning, catering, fish production, and solar‑energy business, with tools and start‑up cash, a move with ultimate goal of wooing voters on that corridor who will vote in 2027.
While he seems to be getting endorsements by groups like “Ogun West Professionals for Yayi” and other accolades like 2027 “next‑level” leader, there remains to be tackled the APC’s internal dynamics and zoning pressure. There are issues around power‑rotation and the “Yewa/Awori factor,” with sections in Ogun-West arguing that the zone has been excluded from the governorship for many years and should now take its turn in the seat.
For Yayi, a lot has also depended on the not-too-clear disposition of the current administration in the state to his ambition, though on paper, both Governor Dapo Abiodun and the senator appear to enjoy a warm relationship.
Senators Aliyu Wadada and Mohammed Onawo (Nasarawa State)
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Aliyu Wadada, has been engaging stakeholders in Nasarawa State to support his desire to succeed Governor Abdullahi Sule in 2027.
Even when campaigns have yet to be declared open officially by INEC, Wadada’s billboards and posters have reached every nook and cranny of the 14 local government areas in the state.
The “famous horse rider” has also initiated a mix of strategies, including political party change in his bid to position himself for the job.
Wadada, a former House of Representatives member, came to the Senate in 2023 on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), but has since defected to the APC, as part of his plans to gain visibility.
In the same Nasarawa State, another Senator and former member of the House of Representatives, like Wadada, Senator Mohammed Onawo (Nasarawa-South), is also mentioned as eyeing the Nasarawa governorship seat, but has not yet made a clear, unambiguous public declaration.
Senators Abdul Ningi and Buba Umar (Bauchi State)
Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi (Bauchi-Central, PDP) has declared his ambition to be the next governor of Bauchi State in 2027. Ningi is said to be rallying PDP structures and youth groups with his legislative record as both former House of Representatives Leader and now senator, to oil his interest.
But, in the same Bauchi, he also has his fellow senator, Shehu Buba Umar (APC, Bauchi-South), who is seeking the ticket of the APC for the same position.
Senators Abdulfatai Buhari and Sharafadeen Alli (Oyo State)
There is also Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, APC (Oyo-North), who wants to replace Governor Seyi Makinde in 2027. Buhari was a guest on Parrot FM Radio recently, where he stated his interest in being the next governor of the state, clearly saying that he would not return to the Senate in 2027.
According to findings, Senator Sharafadeen Alli (Oyo-South, APC) is believed to be after the same ticket Buhari is angling to pick, using empowerment programmes like ICT training for the youth, Point of Sale (PoS) distribution, and farm inputs to woo eligible voters.
Senator Barau Jibrin (Kano State)
The Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano-North, APC) is also in the race to contest the governorship seat of Kano State in 2027. He is one of the well-known senators who have not pretended about their 2027 governorship interest. A grounded grassroots politician, Jibrin’s strength is community service and empowerment with programmes covering education, sports, support for traders, and business development.
But, lately, the defection of Governor Abba Yusuf from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the APC has left political watchers confused as to whether Jibrin will put his intention on hold for now or battle for the party’s ticket against the governor, who obviously will seek a re-election for a second term in office.
Former Senate President Ahmed Lawan (Yobe State)
The President of the 9th Senate, Senator Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan (APC, Yobe-North), is prominent in the news as showing interest in becoming the governor of Yobe State in 2027, though there is no record of a public declaration of interest, unlike Ningi and other colleagues from the North-East.
But, by his body language and actions, Lawan, who is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence, is rumoured to be fronting himself for the job through his numerous humanitarian gestures and interventions to provide life-saving relief during emergencies.
As the INEC timetable ticks down to primaries in April 2026, these senators, from Lola Ashiru in Kwara to Ahmed Lawan in Yobe, are ramping up grassroots efforts, empowerments, and strategic maneuvers to clinch their parties’ governorship tickets, according to investigations.
It also means that with zoning debates, party defections, and intra-party rivalries intensifying, the race for Nigeria’s 2027 governorships promises fierce battles that could reshape state leadership across the federation.