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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will on September 12 publish the final list of candidates for the January 16, 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections, in line with the Electoral Act.
The commission is said to be finalising the list ahead of the statutory deadline, which requires the publication of candidates' names at least 60 days before the election.
INEC had earlier released a provisional list of 19 presidential candidates, their running mates and candidates for the Senate and House of Representatives after the close of party primaries.
The window for substitution of presidential and National Assembly candidates closed on August 22, while political parties concluded the submission of nomination forms on August 29.
Among the presidential candidates on the provisional list are President Bola Tinubu of the APC, Atiku Abubakar of the ADC, Peter Obi of the NDC and Senator Sandy Onor of the PDP.
The APC, PDP and ADC are expected to field candidates for all 469 National Assembly seats—109 in the Senate and 360 in the House of Representatives.
The NDC, however, will contest all 109 Senate seats but is presenting candidates for 219 of the 360 House of Representatives seats.
Despite the conclusion of nominations, legal disputes over candidate substitutions persist in some parties.
Former Benue State Governor, Senator Gabriel Suswam, is challenging the APC's decision to replace him with Senator Emmanuel Udende as the party's candidate for the Benue North-East Senatorial District. Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed October 12 for judgment.
Fresh controversy has also trailed the provisional list of governorship and state assembly candidates released by INEC.
The NDC rejected the inclusion of 10 persons listed as its candidates for the Anambra State House of Assembly, insisting it neither nominated them nor submitted their credentials.
Responding to the allegation, INEC Director of Information and Voter Education, Victorian Eta-Mesi, maintained that the names published by the commission were those uploaded by the political parties.
In Oyo State, SDP governorship aspirant Saheed Oladele has dragged the party and INEC to court over the nomination of Michael Okunlade as the party's governorship candidate, alleging violations of the Electoral Act.
Oladele is seeking court orders nullifying Okunlade's nomination and directing INEC to recognise him as the valid SDP candidate.
Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has unveiled its 28 governorship candidates and running mates for states where governorship elections will hold in 2027.
The list includes Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour in Lagos, Isa Ashiru in Kaduna, Abubakar Malami in Kebbi, Great Ogboru in Delta and Gabriel Pidomson in Rivers State.
The NDC also dismissed reports that it failed to field candidates in parts of the country.
The party's spokesman, Osa Director, described the claims as false, insisting the NDC has candidates across the country, including in all 28 states where governorship elections will be held.
He said the party would publish its comprehensive list of governorship, Senate and House of Representatives candidates to dispel the allegations.
INEC has fixed September 19 as the deadline for withdrawal and substitution of governorship and state assembly candidates, while the final list for those elections will be published on October 20.
