By Wole Mosadomi, Minna
MINNA – No fewer than 805 candidates will contest in the upcoming local government elections across Niger State’s 25 councils, scheduled for November 1, 2025, the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC) has announced.
Chairman of the Commission, Engineer Mohammed Jibril Imam, disclosed this during a press briefing at the Commission’s headquarters in Minna on Wednesday.
According to Imam, ten political parties have signified interest in participating, fielding candidates for positions including Chairmanship, Vice-Chairmanship, and Councillorship.
Breakdown of Candidates by Party: All Progressives Congress (APC): 25 Chairmanship, 25 Vice-Chairmanship, 274 Councillorship candidates.
People’s Democratic Party (PDP): 23 Chairmanship, 21 Vice-Chairmanship, 233 Councillorship candidates.
Social Democratic Party (SDP): 16 Chairmanship, 16 Vice-Chairmanship, 144 Councillorship candidates.
Labour Party: 5 Chairmanship, 4 Vice-Chairmanship, 12 Councillorship candidates. Zenith Labour Party (ZLP): 2 Councillorship candidates.
Booth Party (BP), Action People’s Party (APP), National Rescue Movement (NRM), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party: 1 Councillorship candidate each.
The Commission Chairman noted that political parties are now officially permitted to commence public campaigns from now until October 31, 2025. He urged parties to ensure issue-based campaigns and avoid inflammatory rhetoric.
“Participating parties must understand that their utterances and conduct during the campaigns will determine the peaceful outcome of the elections,” Imam cautioned.
He further revealed that, in a show of flexibility, the Commission has allowed political parties to field Chairmanship candidates without Vice-Chairmanship candidates, although this contravenes the usual electoral rule.
Imam also confirmed that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) will be allowed to vote during the elections, and assured that ongoing court cases related to some parties’ primaries will not hinder the conduct of the polls.
He concluded by affirming the Commission’s readiness for a free, fair, and peaceful election, stressing the need for all stakeholders to act responsibly as the electoral process progresses.
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