Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The Independent National Electoral Commission has published the final list of 19 governorship candidates cleared to contest the February 6, 2027 governorship election in Taraba State, ending months of uncertainty over the fate of some of the state's most prominent political figures and setting the stage for what analysts describe as the most competitive governorship race in the state's recent history.
According to the list released on Saturday, October 10, 2026, and signed by INEC Secretary Rose Oriaran-Anthony, the candidates represent a diverse range of political parties, including the ruling All Progressives Congress, the Peoples Democratic Party, the African Democratic Congress, the Labour Party, the New Nigeria Peoples Party, the Social Democratic Party, the Accord Party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance and several smaller parties. The final list followed the commission's publication of the preliminary register of candidates in September and the resolution of outstanding disputes over party primaries and nominations.
The leading contenders in the race are incumbent Governor Agbu Kefas of the APC, former Senator Emmanuel Bwacha of the PDP, and former Senator Abubakar Tutare of the ADC. Kefas, who won the 2023 governorship election on the PDP platform before defecting to the APC, is seeking a second term. Bwacha, who was the APC's governorship candidate in 2023, now carries the PDP flag. Tutare, a former senator representing Taraba Central, is flying the ADC banner. The three candidates represent the state's three senatorial districts, adding a regional dimension to the contest.
Other notable candidates on the list include former federal lawmaker Danjuma Shiddi, known as Danji SS, of the All Progressives Grand Alliance; Professor Jerome Nyameh of the Accord Party; Professor Yahaya Mohammed Sani of the Nigeria Democratic Congress; and Ishaka Bawa of the Allied Peoples Movement. The full list of candidates and their party affiliations includes: Hamman Mbali (A), Mohammed Ndi (AA), Abbo (AAC), Aminu Ibrahim (ADC), Bwacha (APC), and Yahaya (NNPP), according to the list published by Premium Times. The remaining candidates represent the ADP, APGA, APM, APP, BP, DLA, LP, NDP, NRM, PRP, SDP, YPP and ZLP.
The publication of the final list brings clarity to a race that had been clouded by legal disputes and political realignments. The PDP's ticket dispute was resolved when INEC listed Bwacha as the party's candidate, ending a controversy that had threatened to split the party in the state. The incumbent governor's decision to drop his deputy, Aminu Abdullahi Alkali, and pick Hajiya Zainab Abubakar Ibrahim, the APC Deputy National Women Leader, as his running mate, introduced ethnic and gender dimensions to the race. Alkali, who is from the Mumuye ethnic group, was reportedly replaced due to ill health, and the decision has been met with dissatisfaction from his kinsmen, some of whom have reportedly shifted their support to Bwacha.
The 2023 election results provide context for the 2027 contest. Kefas won with 302,614 votes, while Muhammad Yahaya of the NNPP received 202,277 votes and Bwacha of the APC received 142,502 votes. Yahaya is now running for the NDC, adding another experienced contender to the field. The political landscape in Taraba has been reshaped by Kefas's defection to the APC, Bwacha's move to the PDP, and the entry of several new parties into the race, making the outcome difficult to predict.
The political context of the election is significant. Taraba State, located in Nigeria's North-East geopolitical zone, has 16 local government areas and three senatorial districts. The state has historically been competitive, with power alternating between the PDP and the APC. The 2027 governorship election is scheduled for February 6, alongside the state House of Assembly elections, while the presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on January 16. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is seeking a second term on the APC platform, while former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the ADC, former Anambra Governor Peter Obi of the NDC and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde of the APM are among the major challengers. The governorship race in Taraba will be shaped by the broader national political dynamics as well as local issues, including infrastructure, economic development, security and the management of the state's resources.
For the people of Taraba State, the publication of the final list means the contest is now formally underway. The candidates will have less than four months to make their case to voters across the state's 16 local government areas. The coming weeks will determine whether Governor Kefas can secure a second term, whether Bwacha can translate his experience and name recognition into electoral success, or whether one of the other 17 candidates can emerge as a surprise contender. For INEC, the publication of the list is a milestone in its preparations for the 2027 elections, which will be closely watched as a test of the commission's capacity to conduct free, fair and credible polls across Nigeria's 28 governorship-holding states.
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