From Political Heavyweights To Newcomers: Inside Nigeria’s 2027 Presidential Race

By FIDELUS ZWANSON & NJORIGE LYNUS

NIGERIA’S 2027 presidential election is shaping up as a contest between established political figures, returning presidential hopefuls and candidates seeking to challenge the dominance of the country’s major political parties. With the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for 16 January 2027, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published a list of 18 presidential candidates and their running mates.

The field includes President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM). Meanwhile, former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke, former senator Sandy Onor and several candidates from smaller parties are also seeking the country’s highest political office.

Although the number of candidates creates a broad field of choices, it does not automatically translate into a competitive race. Ultimately, their ability to build national support, finance campaigns, resolve internal party disputes and convince voters that their programmes can address Nigeria’s challenges will determine their prospects.

Tinubu seeks a second term amid economic pressure

President Bola Tinubu, 74, is seeking re-election on the strength of his administration’s economic reforms and infrastructure agenda. Before becoming president in May 2023, he served as Lagos State governor from 1999 to 2007, represented Lagos West in the Senate and helped build the political coalition that produced the APC in 2013.

Since taking office, Tinubu has removed the petrol subsidy and introduced foreign-exchange and fiscal reforms. Supporters argue that these measures address longstanding economic distortions. Nevertheless, higher living costs, expensive transport and persistent insecurity remain significant concerns for many households.

The World Bank reported economic growth of 4.2 per cent in the first half of 2026, according to the supplied account. However, headline growth figures alone cannot establish whether ordinary Nigerians have experienced a corresponding improvement in their living standards. The election will therefore test whether voters consider the reforms necessary investments in long-term stability or costly measures whose benefits have yet to reach them.

Tinubu secured the APC nomination in May 2026 and retained Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate. His campaign is expected to emphasise continuity, infrastructure development and security, while opponents are likely to scrutinise the social costs and implementation of his policies.

Atiku & Obi lead the opposition challenge

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, 79, is making another presidential bid, this time under the ADC. A former Nigeria Customs Service officer and businessman, he served as vice president from 1999 to 2007 and has contested the presidency repeatedly. He finished second in the 2023 election with 6,984,520 votes.

Atiku’s campaign focuses on economic recovery, insecurity and electoral reform. However, his latest bid faces two challenges: opposition fragmentation and the task of persuading voters that his proposals offer a credible alternative to the current administration. His running mate, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, joined the ticket after withdrawing a legal challenge to the party primary.

Peter Obi, 65, offers another major opposition option. The former Anambra governor contested the 2023 election under the Labour Party and secured 6,101,533 votes, finishing third. He now represents the NDC, with former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso as his running mate.

Obi has promised to prioritise security, agriculture, manufacturing, education and healthcare. He has also pledged to serve only one four-year term if elected. His record in Anambra, particularly his emphasis on education and fiscal restraint, remains central to his political appeal. At the same time, questions about the state’s financial position during and after his tenure, alongside scrutiny of his asset declarations, have featured in public debate. Obi has denied wrongdoing in relation to the issues raised about his financial affairs.

The Obi-Kwankwaso alliance brings together two politicians who attracted substantial support in 2023. Even so, their earlier votes cannot simply be added together and treated as a guaranteed electoral bloc. The ticket must still demonstrate that supporters will remain loyal across party, regional and political divisions.

Makinde & other experienced politicians seek national relevance

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, 58, is contesting under the APM after political disagreements within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). An engineer and businessman, he won the Oyo governorship in 2019 and secured re-election in 2023.

His administration has highlighted road projects, increased internally generated revenue and the abolition of a secondary school levy. It has also supported the transfer of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology to sole Oyo State ownership. However, the central question is whether his state-level record can translate into nationwide support. Makinde’s running mate is Lawal Daura, a former director-general of the State Security Service.

Meanwhile, Sandy Onor, 60, represents a PDP faction aligned with Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike. A historian, university professor and former senator, Onor has promoted local government autonomy, rural development, employment and security. Yet rival factions within the PDP have disputed the party’s leadership and presidential nomination, creating an organisational challenge for his campaign.

Former Cross River Governor Donald Duke, 65, is contesting under the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP). His administration promoted tourism through Carnival Calabar, Obudu Mountain Resort and Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort. While Carnival Calabar became an enduring cultural attraction, Tinapa struggled to achieve its anticipated commercial success and became the subject of disputes over financial obligations. Duke’s latest campaign promises improvements in security, education, healthcare and economic management, including a proposal to reduce petrol prices substantially. His previous presidential performance, however, suggests that he must overcome considerable obstacles to build a national electoral base.

Activism, labour politics & alternative economic agendas

Omoyele Sowore, 55, returns under the African Action Congress (AAC). A journalist and activist who founded SaharaReporters, he has built his political identity around anti-corruption advocacy, human rights and demands for structural change. His previous presidential bids in 2019 and 2023 attracted limited votes despite his national profile.

Sowore’s latest programme includes a proposed monthly minimum wage of ₦500,000, free education, public housing, improved electricity and the restoration of petrol subsidies. He has estimated that the wage proposal would add about ₦7.1 trillion to the annual federal wage bill. Consequently, questions about funding, implementation and the fiscal consequences of his proposals will be central to evaluating their feasibility.

Adewole Adebayo, 54, is contesting under the Social Democratic Party (SDP) after receiving 80,267 votes in 2023. A lawyer and media entrepreneur, he presents himself as an alternative to the APC and PDP political establishment. His “Farewell to Poverty and Insecurity” programme focuses on clean government, food security, judicial independence and employment. His running mate is Usman Bugaje.

Dan Nwanyanwu, 66, brings a long history in labour and party politics to the race under the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP). He previously led the Labour Party from 2004 to 2014, when it expanded its political profile and won the Ondo governorship under Olusegun Mimiko. Nwanyanwu also contested the 2023 presidential election and is now campaigning on national unity, security, anti-corruption measures, clean energy and industrialisation.

Sunday Okereke, 43, is the Labour Party candidate. A legislative governance specialist and policy analyst, he has emphasised institutional restructuring and a shift from a consumption-led economy towards greater domestic production. His campaign will need to establish how those ambitions would translate into practical changes in jobs, public services and productivity.

Smaller parties present a wider range of candidates

The remaining candidates represent a mixture of party organisers, businesspeople, professionals, activists and younger political aspirants. Their presence broadens the ballot, although many face the difficulty of converting formal nominations into substantial national support.

Rufai Adekunle Omo-Aje, 71, of the Action Alliance (AA) is a businessman and party chairman whose political prospects are complicated by internal leadership disputes and competing claims surrounding the party’s nomination. Aliyu Abbas, 44, of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), has concentrated on political organising and youth mobilisation. He promotes national unity, food security, education, wealth creation and the use of artificial intelligence to address public challenges. However, a rival aspirant has challenged his nomination in court.

Yusuf Kabiru, 54, is the Action Peoples Party (APP) candidate. The supplied account provides limited independently verifiable information about his professional background, political experience and policy platform. That lack of publicly established detail makes it difficult for voters to assess his preparedness for the presidency.

Sunday Adenuga, 52, of the Boot Party is seeking the presidency again after contesting in 2023. His “One Working Nigeria” agenda emphasises technology, transparency, risk management and institutional reform. Peter Agada, 54, of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), is an architect who previously worked with the Obidient Movement. He now promotes grassroots development, direct labour and tighter oversight of public projects.

Moses Adebisi, 35, of the Democratic Labour Alliance (DLA), is identified in the supplied report as the youngest presidential candidate. His campaign blueprint, “The Divine Order for a New Nigeria,” promises reforms in governance, the economy and national security. Nevertheless, his nomination has attracted disagreement from some of the party’s governorship candidates, who have questioned whether the party has a valid presidential candidate.

Two women are listed among the presidential contenders: Ada Okwori, 48, of the National Democratic Party (NDP), and Esther Okereke, 43, of the National Rescue Movement (NRM). Okwori has a background in grassroots political mobilisation, while Okereke’s “ESTHER Agenda” covers education, security, technology, housing, entrepreneurship and restitution. Their candidacies provide a measure of gender representation, but women remain a small minority in the presidential field.

Olawepo-Hashim’s candidacy raises a legal question

Businessman and pro-democracy activist Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, 61, is seeking the presidency under Accord. His candidacy became contentious after the party’s leadership disputed his claim to the nomination.

However, a Federal High Court in Abuja ruled on 5 October 2026 that Accord and INEC should recognise him as the party’s presidential candidate following the disputed primary. The ruling adds an important legal dimension to the contest. Nevertheless, the distinction between a court order and the final administrative status of a candidate on INEC’s published list remains important when reporting the field. The current official list and any subsequent INEC update should be checked before stating that the number of candidates has formally increased.

Voters face a choice beyond party labels

Across the field, the candidates have promised to tackle insecurity, improve living standards, create jobs and strengthen public institutions. Yet the quality of those promises varies, as does the amount of publicly available information about their professional records, campaign structures and proposed financing.

For the major candidates, the challenge is to show that previous experience and political alliances can deliver better results. For smaller-party contenders, the task is more fundamental: demonstrating national reach, presenting credible programmes and persuading voters that their candidacies can move beyond symbolic participation.

Ultimately, the 2027 election will test more than the popularity of individual politicians. It will also measure public confidence in the incumbent’s reforms, the opposition’s ability to coordinate, the credibility of alternative policy proposals and the electoral system’s capacity to manage a crowded field fairly. The decisive question is not simply who wants to become president, but who can convince Nigerians that their leadership would produce measurable improvements in security, economic opportunity and public welfare.