INEC Confirms 52 Senators Will Exit by June 2027

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the final list of candidates for the 2027 National Assembly polls, confirming that at least 52 serving senators will not return to the 11th National Assembly. This list was published on Saturday, with 57 senators from the current 10th Assembly verified as qualified to contest in January 2027.

Reasons for the exit of the 52 senators include aspirations for other offices, particularly governorship positions, and failures to secure tickets after losing primaries. Some senators stepped down to avoid conflicts with governors who sought their seats.

For instance, Senator Ademola Solomon Olamilekan from Ogun State will leave the Senate after winning the APC governorship ticket, while former governor Gbenga Daniel will not return for the Ogun-East seat due to Governor Dapo Abiodun contesting in his place. Similar situations occurred in Nasarawa, Imo, Yobe, and Gombe states.

Conversely, in Lagos State, all three current senators secured tickets to return.