INEC releases final list of 2027 presidential candidates, running mates

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has unveiled the final list of presidential candidates and their running mates for the January 2027 general elections.

The list, signed by the Secretary to the Commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, was released on Saturday in Abuja and contains presidential candidates fielded by 18 political parties for the country’s top elective position.

The list is heavily dominated by male presidential candidates, with 16 men accounting for 88.9 per cent of the total. Only two women, representing 11.1 per cent, made the final presidential candidates’ list.

Among the male contenders are President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), former Vice-President Abubakar Atiku of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and Peter Obi of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC).

Other male candidates listed by the commission are Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Oluseyi Makinde of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), Donald Duke of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), Chibuzor Okereke of the Labour Party (LP), and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC).

The two female presidential candidates are Okwori Fredrick of the National Democratic Party (NDP) and Dr Esther Okereke of the National Redemption Party (NRM).

The gender distribution among the vice-presidential candidates is also tilted towards men.

PlatinumPodt reports that 14 of the 18 running mates, representing 77.8 per cent, are male, while four, or 22.2 per cent, are female.

The female running mates listed by INEC are Ofordile Egobia of the Action Peoples Party (APP), Abubakar Usaku of the Democratic Labour Alliance (DLA), Konto Bintu of the Labour Party (LP), and Patience Ndidi of the Young Progressive Party (YPP).

In addition to the presidential and vice-presidential candidates, the electoral commission also released the final lists of candidates contesting seats in the Senate and House of Representatives.

The publication of the final candidates’ lists marks another major step in preparations for the 2027 general elections.