2027: Tinubu, Atiku, Obi, 15 Others Make INEC’s Final List of Presidential Candidates

*Akpabio, Abbas, Barau, Kalu, 4,860 others jostle for 469 National Assembly seats

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC); former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC); former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC); and Oyo State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde of the All Progressives Congress (APM) are among the 18 presidential candidates that made the final list released yesterday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2027 general election.

This is as indications emerged last night that Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio and his deputy, Senator Barau Jibrin, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen and his deputy, Benjamin Kalu, are among 4,864 candidates of the contesting the available 469 National Assembly seat in the January 16, 2027 National Assembly elections.
Ahead of the 2027 general election, the electoral commission yesterday published the final list of the presidential candidates and their running mates.

According to its timetable and schedule of activities, the electoral body set January 16 for the presidential and National Assembly elections.
However, the presidential election would feature 18 political parties.
The list, signed by the commission’s Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, features two female presidential candidates — Ada Okwori of NDP and Nkem Okereke of NRM — alongside four female vice-presidential candidates.

None of the 18 presidential candidates or their running mates declared any form of disability.
The candidates’ ages range from 35 to 80, with qualifications spanning First School Leaving Certificate, WAEC and NABTEB certifications to university degrees, including doctorate holders among both the presidential and vice-presidential candidates on the list.

The list shows that the APC has Tinubu, 74, as its standard-bearer, with Kashim Shettima, 59, as his running mate.
The ADC has veteran presidential contestant and former Vice President Atiku, 79, as its candidate, with former Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, 61, as his running mate.
Former Governor of Anambra State, Obi, 65, is on the ballot again as the NDC presidential candidate, running with Rabi Kwankwaso, 69, as his running mate.

Similarly, Sunday Okereke, 43, of the Labour Party (LP), is paired with Hajja Bintu Konto, 54; and Sandy Ojang Onor, 60, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is running with Umaru Babangida, 61
Other candidates on the lis.t are: Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC), with Haruna Magashi as his running mate; Seyi Makinde of Allied Peoples Movement (APM), running with Musa Daura; and Sunday Adenuga of BP, pairing with Usman Turaki Mustapha.

In the same vein, Rufai Omo-Aje of Action Alliance (AA) is running with Shehu Hussaini; Aliyu Abbas-Bin of ADP is paired with Chinazam Ike; Kabiru Yusuf of APP is running with Peace Egobia Ofordile; and Moses Adebisi of DLA has Nafisat Abubakar as his running mate.
In addition, Ada Okwori of the National Democratic Party (NDP), paired with Uchenna Chukwuemeka; Nkem Okereke of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), running with Nasir Sulaiman; and Donald Duke of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), alongside Kabiru Rabiu.

Also, Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), paired with Usman Bugaje; Peter Agada of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), running with Patience Ndidi; and Daniel Nwanyanwu of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), alongside Hassan Khalid.
Meanwhile, Senate President, Akpabio and his deputy, Jibrin, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas and his deputy, Kalu, are among 4,864 candidates of the contesting the available 469 National Assembly seat in the January 16, 2027 National Assembly elections.

This is made up of 1,304 candidates for the 109 Senate seats across the 36 states and the FCT and 3,560 candidates for the 360 House of Representatives seats.
Senate Leader, Bamidele Opeyemi, Senate Whip, Mohammed Tahir Mongunu and Deputy Chief Whip, Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, Deputy House Leader, Abdullahi Ali are also on the list.
A quick check through the list revealed that about 190 current members of House of Representatives and 54 serving senators got the nod of the APC to recontest their seats.

It is not however clear whether they were defeated at the party primaries or opted not to contest.
Some principal officers of the House (Julius Ihonbvere (Edo-House Leader), Fred Agbedi (Bayelsa-Minority Leader), Ibrahim Ayokunle Isiaka (Ogun-Deputy Chief Whip), Abdulsamad Dasuki (Sokoto-Deputy Minority Whip) and Deputy Minority Whip, George Ozodinobi will not be returning to the House.

While Ihonvbere and Ibrahim lost the primary elections in their state, Agbedi opt to contest the senate election on the platform of the Tanimu Turaki led camp of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dasuki opted not to recontest the elections while Ozodinobi’s name was missing from the list of candidates in Anambra.