The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the final list of candidates for Nigeria’s January 16, 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections, with a total of 4,878 candidates cleared to contest.

The final list contains 18 presidential candidates, while another 4,860 candidates are contesting the 109 Senate and 360 House of Representatives seats across the country.

Tinubu, Atiku and Obi Among Presidential Candidates

The presidential list includes incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is contesting on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Also on the list are former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, representing the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, who is contesting under the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

The final list also contains two female presidential candidates: Ada Elizabeth Fredrick Okwori of the National Democratic Party (NDP) and Nkem Esther Okereke of the National Rescue Movement (NRM).

APC Fields Candidates Across All Positions

The ruling APC has the largest presence on the ballot, having submitted candidates for all the positions covered by the presidential and National Assembly elections.

The PDP is fielding 103 senatorial candidates and 302 candidates for the House of Representatives.

The ADC has 107 senatorial candidates and 220 House of Representatives candidates, while the NDC has 103 senatorial candidates and 327 House of Representatives candidates.

The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) is fielding 103 candidates for the Senate and 232 for the House of Representatives.

NNPP Presidential Candidate Missing From Final List

The final list does not contain the name of the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

INEC’s publication also records changes involving some running mates.

The APM replaced Ibrahim Adamu Bala with Musa Lawal Daura as its running mate, while Sulaiman Nasir Mohammed replaced Abubakar Adamu Bala.

The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) also replaced Baba Musa with Rabiu Kabiru as its running mate.

Four Parties Have Female Running Mates

The final list shows that four political parties have women as their vice-presidential candidates.

They are the Young Progressive Party (YPP), Labour Party (LP), Democratic Labour Alliance (DLA) and Action Peoples Party (APP).

The development adds a gender dimension to the presidential contest, although women remain a small minority among the overall presidential candidates.

2027 Presidential Election Holds January 16

INEC has scheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027.

The elections will determine Nigeria’s next president as well as members of the Senate and House of Representatives.

The release of the final candidate list marks another major milestone in the electoral process and gives voters a clearer picture of the politicians and political parties that will appear on the ballot.

With the final list now published, attention is expected to shift further towards campaigns, voter mobilisation and preparations for election day.

Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has travelled to Germany and the United Kingdom for a series of high-level engagements as political activities intensify ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.

Obi disclosed his latest movement in a social media post on Thursday, September 10, following his return to Abuja from visits to Benue and Plateau states.

Obi Begins European Engagements

According to the former Anambra State governor, his engagements in Germany and the UK are focused on issues he considers critical to Nigeria’s future.

He listed democracy, electoral integrity, poverty, education, corruption and healthcare among the issues discussed during the engagements.

Obi said the meetings also explored practical measures that could improve the living conditions of Nigerians and protect their dignity.

The NDC candidate said he returned to Abuja on September 8 after his visits to Benue and Plateau before travelling to Europe, beginning with Germany and subsequently moving to the United Kingdom.

Education Takes Centre Stage

Obi said he was encouraged by the willingness of international partners to support Nigeria, particularly in the education sector.

He described education as the most important investment Nigeria can make in its citizens, arguing that sustainable development would remain difficult without building the knowledge, skills and capabilities of the population.

His emphasis on education comes as he continues to make human capital development a central part of his political messaging ahead of the 2027 election.

Obi Restates Economic Vision

The former Anambra governor also used the occasion to reiterate his call for a fundamental change in Nigeria’s economic direction.

He advocated a transition from consumption to production, dependence to productivity and wasteful practices to responsible resource management.

Obi said his broader objective was to build a country where children have access to quality education, democracy reflects the will of voters, healthcare is accessible and public resources are managed responsibly.

2027 Political Activities Gather Momentum

Obi’s European engagements come at a time when political activities surrounding the 2027 presidential election are intensifying.

The former Anambra governor has continued to position himself as a major opposition contender. On September 8, he described Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde as qualified to become president while calling on opposition politicians to put their differences aside and focus on challenges including poverty, hunger and insecurity.

Obi has also recently made electoral integrity a major part of his campaign message, saying his primary concern is whether Nigerians will be able to protect their votes during the 2027 election rather than simply whether he personally wins.

Other Politicians Begin International Engagements

Obi is not the only presidential contender undertaking international engagements ahead of the election.

Politics Nigeria reported that African Action Congress presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore recently travelled to the United States and Canada as part of a North American tour involving engagements with Nigerians in the diaspora, supporters, activists and other stakeholders.

The movements come as the 2027 electoral calendar advances. According to the report, INEC’s official campaign period began on August 19, 2026, while the presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027.

Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, has rejected calls for a return to petrol subsidy, proposing instead that crude oil supplied to Nigerian refineries should be priced more affordably.

Makinde said the approach would reduce the cost of petrol for Nigerians without returning to what he described as the old subsidy system.

He made the remarks on Monday while speaking at the commissioning of the APM presidential campaign office in Abuja, where he outlined elements of his “Reset Nigeria” agenda.

Makinde: Domestic Crude Should Reflect Nigeria’s Oil-Producing Status

Makinde questioned why crude oil supplied to refineries in Nigeria should be priced as though it had been imported from abroad.

According to him, Nigeria’s status as an oil-producing country should be reflected in the price at which crude is supplied for domestic refining.

He argued that any benefit from Nigeria’s crude resources should be built into the petroleum pricing system from the beginning rather than introduced through interventions at the petrol pump after other costs and inefficiencies have accumulated.

‘I Am Not Calling for Fuel Subsidy’

The governor stressed that his proposal should not be interpreted as an attempt to restore the former petrol subsidy regime.

Instead, he advocated a pricing framework in which locally produced crude supplied to domestic refineries is made available at a price that can help lower the final cost of refined petroleum products.

He also called for greater transparency throughout the petroleum value chain, from crude production and domestic allocation to refining, transportation, distribution, taxes and retail margins.

Makinde Rejects Atiku’s Subsidy Proposal

Makinde’s position comes after former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who is also seeking the presidency in 2027, pledged to restore fuel subsidy if elected.

Atiku has argued that reinstating the subsidy would help reduce the financial burden created by the removal of the policy in 2023.

President Bola Tinubu announced the removal of the petrol subsidy during his inauguration on May 29, 2023, a move that resulted in a sharp increase in petrol prices and contributed to higher transportation and living costs.

Makinde, however, said the focus should instead be on addressing the pricing structure that determines the cost of petrol.

Governor Calls for Transparency in Petroleum Sector

The APM presidential candidate said Nigerians should be able to understand how the final price of petrol is determined.

He argued that citizens should know what they are paying for, who receives payments across the value chain and where inefficiencies are increasing the eventual pump price.

Makinde said his proposed Reset Nigeria agenda would seek to make government decisions and the use of public resources more transparent and accountable.

Makinde Defends 2027 Presidential Bid

Addressing concerns about the strength of his presidential campaign, Makinde said he had previously faced doubts when he contested the Oyo State governorship.

He argued that political observers who underestimate his campaign are also underestimating millions of Nigerians who want changes in the way the country is governed.

The governor called on Nigerians to participate in his proposed “Reset Nigeria” conversation by contributing ideas and challenging policy proposals ahead of the 2027 election.

What Makinde’s Proposal Could Mean

Makinde’s proposal represents a different approach to reducing petrol prices from a conventional fuel subsidy.

Rather than having government compensate suppliers or consumers for part of the cost after the pricing process, his proposal focuses on the upstream cost of crude supplied to domestic refineries.

If implemented, such a framework would require clear rules on domestic crude pricing, refinery costs, transportation, taxes, margins and other components that determine the final pump price.

For now, the proposal remains a campaign policy position, not an existing federal government policy.