…As Akpabio, Abbas, Barau and others jostle for NASS positions
Aniefiok Christopher
Ahead of 2027 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has tightened grip on the lists of Presidential and National Assembly candidates.
President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC); former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC); former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC); and Oyo State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde of the All Progressives Congress (APM) are among the 18 presidential candidates.
This was as kites were flown Saturday night that Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio and his deputy, Senator Barau Jibrin, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen and his deputy, Benjamin Kalu, are among 4,864 candidates of the contesting the available 469 National Assembly seat in the January 16, 2027 National Assembly elections.
According to its timetable and schedule of activities, the electoral body has set January 16 for the presidential and National Assembly elections.
However, the presidential election would feature 18 political parties.
The list, signed by the commission’s Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, features two female presidential candidates — Ada Okwori of NDP and Nkem Okereke of NRM — alongside four female vice-presidential candidates.
None of the 18 presidential candidates or their running mates declared any form of disability.
The ages of candidates range from 35 to 80, with qualifications spanning First School Leaving Certificate, WAEC and NABTEB certifications to university degrees, including doctorate holders among both the presidential and vice-presidential candidates on the list.
The list shows that the APC has Tinubu, 74, as its standard-bearer, with Kashim Shettima, 59, as his running mate.
The ADC has veteran presidential contestant and former Vice President Atiku, 79, as its candidate, with former Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, 61, as his running mate.
Also read: 2027 Elections: Tinubu, Obi, Atiku, 16 others on INEC preliminary list
Former Governor of Anambra State, Obi, 65, is on the ballot again as the NDC presidential candidate, running with Rabi Kwankwaso, 69, as his running mate.
Similarly, Sunday Okereke, 43, of the Labour Party (LP), is paired with Hajja Bintu Konto, 54; and Sandy Ojang Onor, 60, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is running with Umaru Babangida, 61.
Other candidates on the lis.t are: Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC), with Haruna Magashi as his running mate; Seyi Makinde of Allied Peoples Movement (APM), running with Musa Daura; and Sunday Adenuga of BP, pairing with Usman Turaki Mustapha.
Similarly, Rufai Omo-Aje of Action Alliance (AA) is running with Shehu Hussaini; Aliyu Abbas-Bin of ADP is paired with Chinazam Ike; Kabiru Yusuf of APP is running with Peace Egobia Ofordile; and Moses Adebisi of DLA has Nafisat Abubakar as his running mate.
In addition, Ada Okwori of the National Democratic Party (NDP), paired with Uchenna Chukwuemeka; Nkem Okereke of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), running with Nasir Sulaiman; and Donald Duke of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), alongside Kabiru Rabiu.
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Also, Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), paired with Usman Bugaje; Peter Agada of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), running with Patience Ndidi; and Daniel Nwanyanwu of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), alongside Hassan Khalid.
Akpabio, Abbas, Barau, 4,860 others gun for 469 NASS seats
Meanwhile, Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio and his Deputy, Senator Barau Jibrin, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen and his Deputy, Benjamin Kalu are among 4,864 candidates contesting the 469 National Assembly seats on January 16, 2027 National Assembly Elections.
This is made up of 1,304 candidates for the 109 Senate seats across the 36 states and the FCT and 3,560 candidates for the 360 House of Representatives seats.
Senate Leader, Bamidele Opeyemi, Senate Whip, Mohammed Tahir Mongunu and Deputy Chief Whip, Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, Deputy House Leader, Abdullahi Ali are also on the list.
A quick check through the list revealed that about 190 current members of House of Representatives and 54 serving senators got the nod of the APC to recontest their seats.
Some principal officers of the House (Julius Ihonbvere (Edo-House Leader), Fred Agbedi (Bayelsa-Minority Leader), Ibrahim Ayokunle Isiaka (Ogun-Deputy Chief Whip), Abdulsamad Dasuki (Sokoto-Deputy Minority Whip) and Deputy Minority Whip, George Ozodinobi will not be returning to the House.
While Ihonvbere and Ibrahim lost the primary elections in their state, Agbedi opt to contest the senate election on the platform of the Tanimu Turaki led camp of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dasuki opted not to recontest the elections while Ozodinobi’s name was missing from the list of candidates in Anambra.
Though one of the six members of the House of Representatives from Kwara state (Muktar Tolani Shagaya) made the list, none of the five members from Nasarawa state got a return ticket to the House.
Several ranking members of the House, including Nicholas Mutu (Delta) who has been in the House since 1999, Victor Nwokolo (Delta- since 2011), Peter Akpatson (Edo-since 2011), Igarewey Iduma Enwo (Ebonyi- since 2015), Awaji Nombet Abiante (Rivers) and Khadijat Bukar Abba Ibrahim (Yobe- 2007-2015 and 2019 -2027) among others are not returning to the parliament.
Khadijat who was first Lady of Yobe state from 1999 to 2007 was appointed Minister of State for Foreign Affairs by the Buhari administration after winning her return ticket to the House in the 2015 National Assembly elections.
Two members of the House (Jonathan Gaza Gbefwi- Nasarawa) and Kingsley Chinda are contesting the governorship elections in Nasarawa (Labour Party) and Rivers (APC), while two other members (Hassan Naralaba- Nasarawa and Aderemi Oseni (Oyo) opted for the Senate seat.
Some other experienced members that did not get the APC ticket to return to the House are Aliyu Ademorin Kuye (Shomolu-Lagos), Tunji Olawoyin and Kayode Tijani Ismail (Kwara), while three female members of the House (Zainab Gimba- Borno, Mariam Odinaka Onuoha- Imo and Khadijat Bukar Abba Ibrahim-Yobe) are not returning to the House.
Speaker of the Lagos state House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa and his Rivers state counterpart, Martin Chike Amaewhule made the list.
A glance at the list indicate that there are 40 candidates contesting the Senate seat in Abia, 38 in Adamawa, 37 in Akwa Ibom, 42 in Anambra, 31 in Bauchi, 45 in Bayelsa, 39 in Benue, 33 in Borno, 25 in Cross River, 43 in Delta, 30 in Ebonyi, 26 in Edo, 19 in Ekiti and 38 in Enugu.
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Others are Gombe (37), FCT (20), Imo (45), Jigawa (31), Kaduna (33), Kano (49), Katsina (23), Kebbi (35), Kogi (42), Kwara (35), Lagos (36), Nasarawa (36), Niger (34), Ogun (37), Ondo (31), Osun (39), Oyo (38), Plateau (32), Rivers (41), Sokoto (36), Taraba (35), Yobe (26), Zamfara (37).
For the House of Representatives, Abia has 92 candidates, Adamawa (95), Akwa Ibom (103), Anambra (108), Bauchi (123), Bayelsa (61), Benue (118), Borno (72), Cross River (63),Delta (116), Ebonyi (65), Edo (51), Ekiti (36), Enugu (75), Gombe (64), FCT (37), Imo (140), Jigawa (85), Kaduna (151), Kano (251), Katsina (104), Kebbi (62), Kogi (94), Kwara (65), Lagos (184), Nasarawa (61), Niger (92), Ogun (95), Ondo (91), Osun (81), Oyo (151), Plateau (86), Rivers (146), Sokoto (138), Taraba (70), Yobe (62) and Zamfara (72).
The PDP has presented candidates in 103 out of the 109 senatorial districts of the country and 302 candidates for the 360 seats in the House of Representatives seats.
