Following the publication of the final list of presidential candidates for the January 2027 general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), political analysts have urged Nigerians to critically scrutinise all contenders on the ballot
The final roster, signed by the Secretary to the Commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, was released over the weekend in Abuja It features 18 presidential candidates and their running mates, alongside final candidate lists for the Senate and House of Representatives.
According to official statistics from INEC, 16 of the 18 presidential candidates are male (889%), with only two women (11.1%) leading presidential tickets.
The male presidential candidates on the ballot include incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC)
Other male candidates are Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Seyi Makinde of 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 two female presidential flag bearers are Okwori Fredrick of the National Democratic Party (NDP) and Dr Esther Okereke of the National Rescue Movement (NRM).
Among running mates, 14 are male (778%) and four are female (22.2%). The female vice-presidential candidates are Ofordile Egobia (APP), Nafisat Usaku (DLA), Konto Bintu (LP), and Patience Ndidi (YPP).
Speaking in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos, political experts emphasized that the electorate must prioritize track record, competence, and integrity over party loyalty, age, or ethnic and religious considerations ahead of the polls
Dr Emeka Ozoemena, a political scientist, noted that while the final list offers Nigerians a broad spectrum of choices, voters must rigorously evaluate each candidate’s antecedents.
“The ballot is powerful Nigerians must not waste it on sentiment, ethnicity, or religion. Competence should be the deciding factor,” Ozoemena said.
Addressing the demographics of the race, political economist, Prof Bassey Ekefre, raised concerns over the ages of leading candidates, pointing out that most frontline contenders are above 60 while young voters make up the majority of the electorate.
“A country where the young dominate the population but the old dominate the ballot must ask itself hard questions,” Ekefre stated However, he maintained that age alone should not override capacity, noting that leadership experience remains vital.
The representation of women in the contest also drew critical commentary Ms. Adedoyin Fabikun, convener of the Coalition for Credible Leadership, acknowledged the inclusion of female candidates but described the number as inadequate.
“Two out of 18 is not enough We must dismantle the structures that keep women away from the highest offices,” Fabikun said.
The analysts concluded by urging INEC to maintain complete transparency and guarantee a level playing field, while calling on political parties to ground their campaigns in substantive issues to aid voters in making informed decisions at the polls