Abuja: The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the definitive list of presidential candidates and their running mates for the upcoming January 2027 general elections. This list, authorized by Rose Oriaran-Anthony, Secretary to the Commission, includes contenders from 18 political parties vying for the presidency.
According to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the gender distribution of the presidential candidates reveals that 16 of the 18 candidates are male, accounting for 88.9% of the total, while two candidates are female. Prominent male contenders include Bola Tinubu from the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abubakar Atiku of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and Peter Obi representing the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC).
Other notable male candidates are Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Oluseyi Makinde from the Allied People’s Movement (APM), Donald Duke of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), Chibuzor Okereke from the Labour Party (LP), and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC).
The two female presidential candidates, who make up 11.1% of the total, are Okwori Fredrick of the National Democratic Party (NDP) and Dr. Esther Okereke of the National Redemption Party (NRM).
The vice-presidential candidates’ gender statistics indicate that 14 of the running mates are male, representing 77.8%, while four are female, making up 22.2% of the total. The female vice-presidential candidates are Ofordile Egobia (APP), Abubakar Usaku (DLA), Konto Bintu (LP), and Patience Ndidi (YPP).
NAN also notes that INEC has published the final list of candidates for both the Senate and the House of Representatives.