The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has officially published the final list of presidential candidates and their running mates for Nigeria’s 2027 general election, setting the stage for what is expected to be one of the country’s most closely watched presidential contests.
The final list, released on Saturday and signed by the Secretary of the Commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, contains 18 presidential candidates representing 18 political parties.
Among the major contenders cleared by the electoral umpire are incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, ADC; and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC.
The presidential election is scheduled to hold on Saturday, January 16, 2027, while the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are slated for February 6, 2027.
More Read
Also cleared to contest the presidential election are Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress, AAC; Oluseyi Makinde of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM; Donald Duke of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP; Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party, SDP; and Sunday Chibuzor Okereke of the Labour Party, LP.
Other candidates on the final list include Rufai Adekunle Omo-Aje of the Action Alliance, AA; Abbas-Bin Aliyu of the Action Democratic Party, ADP; Yusuf Kabiru of the Action Peoples Party, APP; Sunday Adenuga of the Boot Party; Adebisi Olusoji of the Democratic Labour Alliance; and Nwanyanwu Daberechukwu of the Zenith Labour Party.
The list also includes two female presidential candidates — Ada Elizabeth Frederick Okwori of the National Democratic Party and Nkem Esther Okereke of the National Rescue Movement.
More Read
INEC’s publication further shows that the presidential candidates cut across a wide age range. Moses Adebisi of the Democratic Labour Alliance, aged 35, is the youngest presidential candidate, while former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, aged 79, is the oldest. President Tinubu is listed at 74.
Beyond the presidential race, INEC also published the final lists for the Senate and House of Representatives elections, featuring a number of prominent political figures and serving and former public officials.
The legislative contests are expected to generate intense competition across the country as political parties seek control of the National Assembly alongside the presidency.
With the final presidential list now published, the 2027 election has entered a more decisive phase. Political parties and their candidates are expected to intensify nationwide campaigns, mobilization and coalition-building ahead of the January poll.
The contest is already attracting significant attention, with President Tinubu seeking another term under the APC, while Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi are returning to the presidential race under different political platforms.
The emergence of 18 presidential candidates means Nigerian voters will have a broad range of choices when they head to the polls.
More Read
As the countdown to January 16, 2027 begins, attention will now shift increasingly towards the candidates’ manifestos, campaign strategies, alliances and ability to mobilize voters across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones.
The 2027 presidential election is therefore shaping up to be a major political battle, with the presidency, National Assembly and the direction of the country’s political future all at stake.
