The countdown to the January 16, 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections gathered steam yesterday after the

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday issued a final list of candidates billed to contest the January 16, 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections.

The list features a total of 4,878 candidates with 18 of them vying for the presidential seat, while 4,860 will battle for 109 Senatorial and 360 House of Representatives seats.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has the highest number of contestants as it has presented candidates for all positions. The PDP is fielding 103 senatorial candidates and 302 HoR candidates while the ADC has a total of 107 senatorial candidates, and 220 HoR contestants, while NDC has 103 senatorial candidates and 327 HoR candidates.

The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has 103 Senatorial and 232 HoR candidates.

On the list of presidential candidates is President Bola Tinubu of the APC, Atiku Abubakar of the ADC and Peter Obi of the NDC.

Two women are also on the final presidential candidates list, namely Ada Elizabeth Fredrick Okwori of the National Democratic Party (NDP) and Nkem Esther Okereke of the National Rescue Movement (NRM).

Four parties (YPP, LP, DLA and APP) have female vice presidential candidates.

Missing on the list is the name of the flag bearer of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

The provisional list issued by the commission two weeks ago had Dikwa Suleiman Mohammed as NNPP candidate and Abubakar Isa as running mate.

It was not clear yesterday why their names were dropped.

Two parties, Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) and Young Progressive Party (YPP) changed their Presidential candidates and their Vice presidential candidates, while the National Rescue Movement (NRM), Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) replaced their vice presidential candidates.

Adebisi Amos Olusoji replaced Samuel Memeh as presidential candidate of DLA with Abubakar Nafisat Usaka (DLA) replacing Balogun Alex as the vice presidential candidate, while Agada Peter Ada and Key Patience Ndidi replaced Chikwu Anita Zugwai and Egeola Olawale Matins as presidential candidate and vice presidential candidate of YPP respectively.

The APM replaced Ibrahim Adamu Bala with Musa Lawal Daura as running mate; Sulaiman Nasir Mohammed replaced Abubakar Adamu Bala as running mate, while PRP replaced Baba Musa with Rabiu Kabiru as running mate.

Three other parties, according to the final list, have no presidential candidates.

They are Accord, All Progressive Grand Alliance and Youth Party.

None of them nominated a candidate at the close of nomination.

READ ALSO: National Assembly cuts ties with South Africa over xenophobic attacks

The oldest of the presidential candidates on the list is 79 years old while the youngest is 35 years old.

The full list:

1. APC: Bola Tinubu (74) / Kashim Shettima (59)

2. ADC: Atiku Abubakar (79) / Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (61)

3. NDC: Peter Gregory Obi (65) / Musa Mohammed Rabiu Kwankwaso (69)

4. LP: Sunday Chibuzo Okereke (43) / Hajja Bintu Konto (54)

5. PDP: Sandy Ojang Onor (60) / Umaru Babangida (61)

6. AA: Rufai Adekunle Omo-Aje / Shehu Hussaini

7. ADP: Aliyu Abbas-Bin / Chinazam Ike

8. APP: Kabiru Yusuf / Peace Egobia Ofordile

9. AAC: Omoyele Sowore / Haruna Garba Magashi

10. APM: Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde (58) / Musa Lawal Daura

11. BP: Sunday Adenuga / Usman Turaki Mustapha

12. DLA: Moses Olusoji Adebisi / Nafisat Usaku Abubakar

13. NDP: Ada Elizabeth Fredrick Okwori / Uchenna Anthony Chukwuemeka

14. NRM: Nkem Esther Okereke / Nasir Muhammed Sulaiman

15. PRP: Donald Duke / Kabiru Rabiu

16. SDP: Adewole Ebenezer Adebayo / Usman Muhammed Bugaje

17. YPP: Peter Ada Agada / Patience Ndidi Key

18. ZLP: Daniel Daberechukwu Nwanyanwu / Hassan Khalid

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, his deputy Barau Jibrin, House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, other principal officers of the federal legislature and current state governors got INEC’s final nod to contest for the NASS election.

They are all seeking reelection on the platform of the APC.

Governors AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), and Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa) are similarly in the senatorial race.

They are joined by at least 12 former governors and a former deputy governor seeking election or re-election to the Red Chamber. The list includes Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta North), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North), Mukhtar Ramalan Yero (Kaduna North), Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano Central), and Muhammadu Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central).

Others are Yahaya Bello (Kogi Central), Abubakar Sani-Bello (Niger North), Simon Bako Lalong (Plateau South), Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko (Sokoto North), Abdullahi Yari (Zamfara West), and former Lagos Deputy Governor Idiat Oluranti Adebule.

Long-serving lawmaker Sen. Ali Ndume (Borno West), first elected to the House of Representatives in 2003, secured his spot on the ballot, alongside human rights activist Sen. Shehu Sani (Kaduna Central).

About 190 current members of House of Representatives and 54 serving senators got the nod of the APC to seek fresh mandate.

The post INEC releases final list of 4,878 contestants for 2027 presidency, NASS elections appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from Ripples Nigeria.