No fewer than 52 serving senators in Nigeria’s 10th National Assembly are set to leave the Senate at the end of their current tenure in June 2027 after failing to secure places on the final list of candidates released for the forthcoming National Assembly elections.

The development followed the publication by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the final list of candidates cleared to contest the January 16, 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections.

Findings cited in the report indicate that political parties submitted the names of about 57 serving senators for the 2027 senatorial contests.

Police Arrest Suspected Producer Of Herbal Drink Linked To 29 Deaths In Ondo

However, 52 other members of the current Senate were not included in the final list, meaning they are presently not in line to return to the upper legislative chamber in the 11th National Assembly.

The exclusion of the affected lawmakers was reportedly not entirely the result of unsuccessful party primaries.

While some senators failed to secure their parties’ return tickets, others voluntarily pursued different political ambitions, including governorship contests.

Some lawmakers were also said to have stepped aside following political agreements and power-sharing arrangements involving influential political actors in their respective states.

In Ogun State, Senator Ademola Solomon Olamilekan, who chairs the Senate Committee on Appropriations, will not return to the Senate after securing the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket to contest the governorship election.

Another prominent Ogun politician, former Governor Gbenga Daniel, is also not returning as the senator representing Ogun East after Governor Dapo Abiodun emerged as the candidate for the senatorial seat.

A similar situation has emerged in Nasarawa State, where Senator Aliyu Wadada, a former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, is pursuing the governorship after securing the APC ticket.

In Imo State, Senator Osita Izunaso’s senatorial ticket for Imo West was reportedly ceded to Governor Hope Uzodinma as part of the political realignment ahead of the 2027 elections.

Governors in some other states, including Yobe and Gombe, have also secured senatorial tickets, contributing to the number of serving senators who will not return to the chamber.

In Sokoto State, former Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal is among the senators whose return bid has fallen through.

Tambuwal, a former presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), reportedly stepped aside for a younger aspirant under a power-sharing arrangement within his current political platform, the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Despite the number of lawmakers facing exit from the Senate, dozens of serving senators have secured their parties’ nominations and remain in contention for another term in the 11th National Assembly.

Among them are Lagos State senators Adetokunbo Abiru, Adebule Idiat Oluranti and Sanni Eshilokun, who secured tickets for Lagos East, Lagos West and Lagos Central respectively.

The three serving senators from Ekiti State also obtained return tickets. They are Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs Chairman Yemi Adaramodu, and Senator Fasuyi Cyril Oluwole.

Akwa Ibom State also retained all three of its serving senators on the candidate list.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Senator Aniekan Bassey and Senator Ekong Sampson secured tickets for Akwa Ibom North-West, North-East and South respectively.

All three serving senators from Borno State are also listed among the candidates cleared for the 2027 elections, including Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume.

However, the current candidate list may not necessarily represent the final political configuration before election day.

Under provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, political parties may still make certain changes to their candidate lists where the conditions stipulated by law are met.

Section 31 provides for a candidate to withdraw from an election by submitting written notice and a sworn affidavit to the political party that nominated the candidate. The party is required to forward the relevant documents to INEC within the period prescribed by law.

Section 33 also places restrictions on candidate substitution, permitting changes under specified circumstances, including the death or withdrawal of a candidate, subject to applicable legal provisions.

INEC is further required to publish the names and addresses of nominated candidates within the timeframe prescribed ahead of the election.

With the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, the political landscape remains subject to possible changes within the boundaries established by the Electoral Act.

For the 52 serving senators currently absent from the final list, however, their departure from the Senate at the end of the 10th National Assembly appears increasingly likely unless their circumstances change through a lawful alteration of the candidate list.

The development underscores the extent of political realignment already taking place ahead of the 2027 elections, with some incumbent lawmakers seeking higher office, others yielding to political agreements and several successfully securing another opportunity to return to the Senate.