By Our Reporter
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the final list of presidential candidates and their running mates for the January 16, 2027 presidential election, confirming 18 political parties in the race for Nigeria’s highest elective office.
The list, signed by the Secretary to the Commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, was released in Abuja on Saturday and formally sets the stage for what is expected to be a keenly contested presidential election involving some of the country’s most prominent political figures.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is seeking re-election with Vice-President Kashim Shettima as his running mate, while former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar is contesting on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), with former Rivers State Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate.
Former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi is the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), with former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as his running mate.
Other major candidates on the final list include Oyo State Governor Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate Adewole Adebayo, Labour Party candidate Sunday Chibuizu Okereke and African Action Congress (AAC) candidate Omoyele Sowore.
The 18 presidential candidates and their running mates, according to the final INEC publication, are:
Action Alliance (AA): Rufai Adekunle Omo-Aje — Shehu Hussaini.
Action Democratic Party (ADP): Abbas-Bin Aliyu — Ike Chinazam.
Action Peoples Party (APP): Yusuf Kabiru — Ofordile Peace Egobia.
African Action Congress (AAC): Omoyele Sowore — Haruna Garba Magashi.
African Democratic Congress (ADC): Atiku Abubakar — Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
All Progressives Congress (APC): Bola Ahmed Tinubu — Kashim Shettima.
Allied Peoples Movement (APM): Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde — Musa Lawal Daura.
Boot Party (BP): Sunday Adenuga — Musa Turaki Mustapha.
Democratic Labour Alliance (DLA): Moses Olusolu Adebisi — Nafisat Usaku Abubakar.
Labour Party (LP): Sunday Chibuizu Okereke — Hajja Bintu Konto.
National Democratic Party (NDP): Ada Elizabeth Frederick Okwori — Uchenna Anthony Chukwuemeka.
National Rescue Movement (NRM): Nkem Esther Okereke — Nasir Muhammed Sulaiman.
Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC): Peter Gregory Obi — Rabiu Musa Mohammed Kwankwaso.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP): Sandy Ojang Onor — Umaru Babadigida.
Peoples Redemption Party (PRP): Donald Duke — Kabiru Rubbaku.
Social Democratic Party (SDP): Adewole Ebenezer Adebayo — Usman Muhammed Bugaje.
Young Progressive Party (YPP): Peter Ada Agada — Patience Ndidi Key.
Zenith Labour Party (ZLP): Daniel Daberechukwu Nyawanwalu — Hassan Khalid.
The commission’s publication shows that 16 of the 18 presidential candidates are men, while two are women — Ada Elizabeth Frederick Okwori of the NDP and Nkem Esther Okereke of the NRM.
Four women are among the 18 vice-presidential candidates: Peace Egobia of the APP, Nafisat Usaku of the DLA, Hajja Bintu Konto of the LP and Patience Ndidi Key of the YPP.
The candidates’ ages range from 35 to 79. Atiku Abubakar, 79, is the oldest presidential candidate on the list, while Moses Olusolu Adebisi of the DLA, aged 35, is the youngest. Tinubu is listed as 74, Peter Obi 65, Makinde 58, Sowore 55, Adewole Adebayo 54 and Donald Duke 64.
The publication follows the conclusion of the political parties’ primary elections and other statutory processes required for participation in the 2027 elections.
The final list effectively brings greater clarity to the presidential contest, which is expected to be dominated by debates over the economy, insecurity, unemployment, electricity, cost of living, governance and the performance of the incumbent administration.
Tinubu will be seeking a second term under the APC, while Atiku, Obi, Sowore and the other opposition candidates will be attempting to dislodge the ruling party at the federal level.
The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for Saturday, January 16, 2027, while the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are scheduled for February 6, 2027.
