General News
INEC Releases Final 2027 Senate Candidate List
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published the final list of candidates for the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections.
The publication provides greater clarity on the race for the 109 seats in the Nigerian Senate ahead of the general election.
The final list contains candidates nominated by political parties to contest the various senatorial districts across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
INEC released the list as part of preparations for the 2027 general election, with the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027.
The commission has been working with political parties to complete the nomination and verification process ahead of the polls.
The release follows weeks of political activity within the major political parties. Several sitting senators and prominent politicians secured return tickets, while others lost their party nominations during the primary and appeal processes.
The All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) feature prominently among the candidates listed across the senatorial districts. Other political parties also appear in some constituencies.
The final stage of the nomination process has resulted in a number of major political changes, with some politicians who initially secured party tickets later replaced following internal appeals and reviews.
In the APC, several National Assembly nominations were reviewed after complaints from aspirants. The review affected senatorial districts in Kogi, Benue, Taraba, Ondo, Abia, Niger, Kwara, Kaduna and Ebonyi states.
Among the notable changes was the restoration of Senator Emmanuel Udende as the APC candidate for Benue North-East, while Prince Paul Ikonne emerged as the party’s candidate for Abia South.
Former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam was among those affected by the changes after losing the APC ticket he had initially secured.
In Delta North, former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa is listed as the APC candidate, while Senator Ned Nwoko is not on the final list.
Former Gombe State Governor Danjuma Goje is also absent from the list after losing the APC ticket for Gombe Central to Mohammed Ahmed.
The development has added fresh competition to the 2027 Senate race, with several districts expected to witness closely fought contests.
The list also shows instances where some political parties did not present candidates in particular senatorial districts.
The final list covers all 109 senatorial districts across the country, including the Federal Capital Territory.
The publication of the candidates’ list effectively moves the 2027 National Assembly contest into another phase.
In a related development, political parties have intensified preparations for the 2027 elections, with the APC, ADC and PDP expected to contest all 469 National Assembly seats comprising 109 Senate seats and 360 House of Representatives seats.
The NDC has also been preparing candidates for the Senate and House of Representatives races.
The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, according to INEC’s current timetable.
The release of the final list means the names of those seeking election to the Senate are now before voters as the parties move deeper into the 2027 campaign season.