The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the final list of presidential candidates and their running mates for the January 2027 general elections.
The list, signed by the Commission’s Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, and released in Abuja on Saturday, September 12, 2026, lists the presidential candidates fielded by 18 political parties for the election.
The list shows a wide gender disparity among the presidential contenders, with men accounting for 16 of the 18 candidates, representing 88.9 per cent.
Only two women, representing 11.1 per cent, are listed as presidential candidates.
Among the male presidential candidates are President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abubakar Atiku of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peter Obi of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Oluseyi Makinde of the Allied People’s Movement (APM).
Others include 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).
A similar gender imbalance was recorded among the vice-presidential candidates.
According to the commission’s list, 14 of the 18 running mates are men, accounting for 77.8 per cent, while four women make up the remaining 22.2 per cent.
The female vice-presidential candidates are Ofordile Egobia of the Action Peoples Party (APP), Abubakar Usaku of the Democratic Labour Alliance (DLA), Konto Bintu of the Labour Party and Patience Ndidi of the Young Progressives Party (YPP).
The release of the final lists formally sets the stage for political parties and their candidates to intensify their campaigns ahead of the 2027 general elections.
