The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published the final list of presidential candidates and their running mates for the January 2027 general elections.

The ‌⁠‍‍⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‍‍⁠‌list, signed by the secretary to the commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, released on Saturday in Abuja, featured candidates sponsored by 18 political parties competing for the office.

The gender distribution showed that of the 18 presidential flag bearers, 16 are male, representing 88.9 per cent, while two are female.

The male contenders include Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abubakar Atiku of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and Peter Obi of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC).

Others are: Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Oluseyi Makinde of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), 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 only two female presidential candidates, which constitute 11.1 per cent, are Okwori Fredrick of the National Democratic Party (NDP) and Dr Esther Okereke of the National Redemption Party (NRM).

The gender statistics of the vice-presidential candidates also show that 14 running mates are male, representing 77.8 per cent, while only four, representing 22.2 per cent, are female.

The female vice-presidential candidates are: Ofordile Egobia (APP), Abubakar Usaku (DLA), Konto Bintu (LP) and Patience Ndidi (YPP).

INEC also released the final list of candidates for the Senate and the House of Representatives. 

(NAN)