INEC To Release Final List Of 2027 Presidential, NASS Candidates September 12

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is set to publish the final list of candidates for the January 16, 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday, September 12, 2026.

According to The Nation, officials of the commission are currently fine-tuning the list ahead of its publication.

The release is in line with Section 32(1) of the 2026 Electoral Act, which requires the final list of candidates to be published at least 60 days before an election.

INEC had last month released the provisional list of 19 presidential candidates, including their running mates and other particulars.

The commission also published the provisional list of candidates contesting the Senate and House of Representatives elections.

The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled to hold on the same day.

READ ALSO: 2027: PDP Missing as INEC Clears Idris, Malami, Others for Kebbi Guber Race

The deadline for the substitution of candidates for the presidential and National Assembly elections was August 22, 2026, while political parties had until August 29 to submit nomination forms, Form EC 13A-E.

The publication of candidates’ Form EC9 is also a statutory requirement under Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act 2026. The provision requires INEC to display the personal particulars of candidates after receiving their nomination forms.

The APC, PDP and ADC are expected to field candidates across all 469 National Assembly seats, comprising 109 Senate seats and 360 House of Representatives seats.

The Nigeria Democratic Congress, however, is expected to contest all 109 senatorial seats and 219 House of Representatives seats.

The final list is expected to come amid ongoing disputes by some aspirants who are challenging their parties’ decisions to substitute them despite claiming to have won their respective primaries.

One of those challenging his replacement is former Benue State Governor and Senator representing Benue North East, Gabriel Suswam.

Suswam instituted a suit against Senator Emmanuel Udende, the All Progressives Congress and INEC over the party’s primary for the Benue North East Senatorial District.

He is challenging the APC’s decision to replace him with Udende as its candidate for the 2027 election after he emerged from the primary conducted on May 18, 2026.

The Federal High Court 6 in Abuja, presided over by Justice Inyang Ekwo, has reserved judgment in the case for October 12, 2026.

Meanwhile, controversy has also followed INEC’s provisional list for the February 6, 2027 governorship and state House of Assembly elections.

The NDC has disowned 10 persons listed by INEC as its candidates for the Anambra State House of Assembly election.

The party’s Director of New Media and Strategic Communications, Theophilus Agada, said the NDC neither nominated the individuals nor submitted their Form EC9E documents to INEC.

Agada questioned how the commission obtained the credentials of the affected individuals “when it is the party’s legal duty to submit the names of its approved candidates.”

He added: “It is the party’s legal responsibility to submit the names and credentials of its nominated candidates.

“The NDC did not collect or forward completed EC9E forms for the 10 persons whose names later appeared on INEC’s published list.”

Responding to the controversy, INEC’s Director of Information and Voter Education, Victorian Eta-Mesi, disclosed that the names published by the commission for the Anambra election “are as uploaded by the political parties”.