INEC releases final list of presidential, legislative candidates

Clears Tinubu, Obi, Atiku, 15 others to participate

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday released the final lists of the presidential candidates, clearing President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and their African Democratic Congress (ADC) counterpart, Atiku Abubakar, to participate in next year’s presidential election.

INEC, in the documents titled “Presidential and National Assembly Elections for January, 2027” signed by Rose Oriaran-Anthony, Secretary of the commission, disclosed that no fewer than 18 political parties fielded presidential and vice-presidential candidates for the January 16 poll.

According to the document, other presidential candidates the commission gave the nod to contest include: Rufai Adekunle of AA, Abbas-Bin Aliyu of ADP, Yusuf Kabiru of APP, Sowore Omoyele of African Action Congress (AAC), Oyo State Governor, Makinde Oluseyi of APM, Adenuga Sunday of BP, Adebisi Moses Olusola of DLA, Okereke Sunday of Labour Party (LP) and Onor Sandy of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The electoral umpire equally revealed that it also cleared Duke Donald of the PRP, Adebayo Adewole Ebenezer of the SDP, Agada Peter Adakey of YPP and Nwanyanwu Daniel of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

In terms of age statistics, the youngest presidential candidate, according to the INEC’s document, is Moses Olusoji Adebisi of the Democratic Labour Alliance (DLA), who is 35 years old, Nkem Esther Okereke of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), 43; Sunday Chibuzo Okereke of the LP, 43; and Abbas-Bin Aliyu of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), 44. Rufai Adekunle Omo-Aje of AA is 71, while Yusuf Kabiru of the APP is 54.

In the comprehensive list of the senatorial and House of Representatives candidates, majority of the notable names like the Principal Officers of the National Assembly and other such names as Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the incumbent governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, among many others were equally cleared to participate in the legislative election.

In Kogi State, for example, the contest will be very fierce as the immediate past governor, Yahaya Bello, will be squaring it up with no fewer than 12 candidates, including the incumbent senator, Akpoti Uduaghan Natasha Hadiza of the PDP for the Kogi Central senatorial district ticket.