By Winnie Onu, Makurdi
No fewer than 592 candidates are jostling for 52 elective positions in Benue State ahead of the 2027 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed.
The candidates are seeking election into the governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly seats, with 3,057,225 registered voters expected to participate in the exercise across 5,102 polling units in the state.
Benue State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Aminu Idris, disclosed this on Wednesday at an INEC stakeholders’ meeting at the commission’s headquarters in Makurdi.
Giving a breakdown of the nominations, Idris said 12 candidates were seeking the governorship seat, while 40 others were contesting the three senatorial seats across Benue North-East, Benue North-West and Benue South districts.
Benue South recorded the highest number of senatorial candidates with 15, followed by Benue North-West with 13 and Benue North-East with 12.
For the House of Representatives, 118 candidates are contesting across the state’s 11 federal constituencies.
Otukpo/Ohimini Federal Constituency recorded the highest number with 15 candidates, followed by Apa/Agatu and Oju/Obi constituencies, which have 12 candidates each.
Kwande/Ushongo has 11 candidates, while Ado/Ogbadibo/Okpokwu, Buruku, Gboko/Tarka, Gwer East/West and Konshisha/Vandeikya have 10 candidates each.
Guma/Makurdi and Katsina-Ala/Ukum/Logo constituencies recorded nine candidates each.
The State House of Assembly has the largest share of the contest, with 422 candidates seeking election into 37 constituencies.
Idris explained that the number of state constituencies increased from 32 to 37 following a court decision that restored five previously suppressed constituencies.
He urged political parties to commence preparations for the elections scheduled for January 16 and February 6, 2027, while assuring stakeholders of INEC’s readiness to conduct the polls.
The REC added that the state’s 3,057,225 registered voters were spread across 276 registration areas, commonly known as wards, and 5,102 polling units.
