The APC will contest all 469 National Assembly seats in the 2027 election, while NDC, ADC and other parties leave several constituencies without candidates
2027 Election Shock: APC Fields Candidates Everywhere as NDC, ADC Leave Dozens of Seats Empty
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has opened a wide gap over the two leading opposition parties, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and African Democratic Congress (ADC), in the race for National Assembly seats ahead of the January 16, 2027 elections.
The gap emerged from the final lists of candidates released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday, showing that while the APC is contesting every senatorial and House of Representatives seat, both NDC and ADC will leave several constituencies uncontested.
A total of 469 seats comprising 109 Senate and 360 House of Representatives positions will be contested in the elections.
The NDC, on whose platform former Anambra State governor Peter Obi is running for president, failed to field candidates in 10 senatorial districts and 33 federal constituencies.
The party, led by former Bayelsa State governor and Senator Seriake Dickson, is therefore contesting 99 of the 109 senatorial districts and 327 of the 360 House of Representatives constituencies.
Overall, the NDC has candidates for 426 of the 469 National Assembly seats, representing about 91 per cent of the available positions.
The 10 senatorial districts where the party has no candidate are Bauchi South, Bauchi Central, Bauchi North, Benue Northeast, Ekiti South, Jigawa Northeast, Kaduna South, Katsina Central, Yobe East and Yobe North.
Its 33 vacant federal constituencies are spread across 16 states, with the party missing candidates in three constituencies in Bauchi, one in Borno, two in Ekiti, one in Enugu, two in Jigawa, one in Kaduna, eight in Katsina, five in Kebbi, one in Kogi, one in Lagos, two in Osun, one in Oyo, two in Plateau, one in Sokoto, one in Taraba and one in Yobe.
In contrast, the APC is fielding candidates in all 109 senatorial districts and all 360 federal constituencies, giving the ruling party a full slate across the National Assembly contests.
The ADC, another major opposition platform, also failed to achieve nationwide coverage. The party is not contesting one senatorial district and 13 federal constituencies, leaving 14 National Assembly seats without ADC candidates.
The gaps are particularly noticeable in Edo, Kano, Borno, Anambra and Enugu states.
In Kano alone, ADC is absent from six federal constituencies: Shanono/Bagwai, Bebeji/Kiru, Rano/Bunkure/Kibiya, Dambatta/Makoda, Doguwa/Tudun Wada and Tarauni.
The party also has no candidate in Delta South Senatorial District, Ogbia and Sagbama/Ekeremor constituencies in Bayelsa State, Amuwo-Odofin and Shomolu constituencies in Lagos State, Etsako East/Etsako West/Etsako Central in Edo State, Lavun/Mokwa/Edati in Niger State and Bungudu/Maru in Zamfara State.
The Alliance for the People’s Movement (APM) has an even wider shortfall, with no candidate in 47 federal constituencies and five senatorial districts across 18 states.
In Edo State, for instance, APM is not fielding candidates in nine constituencies, including Akoko-Edo, Esan Central/Esan South/Igueben, Esan North East/Esan South East, Etsako East/Etsako West/Etsako Central, Egor/Ikpoba-Okha, Oredo, Orhionmwon/Uhunmwonde, Ovia North East/Ovia South West and Owan East/Owan West.
The party is also absent from five federal constituencies in Borno State, namely Jere, Kaga/Gubio/Magumeri, Biu/Kwaya-Kusar, Shani/Bayo and Bama/Ngala/Kala-Balge. It has no senatorial candidate in Borno North.
Other states where APM is not fielding candidates include Anambra, Enugu, Ekiti, Kogi, Rivers, Plateau, Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Zamfara, Kano, Kebbi, Niger, Osun and Yobe.
APM also has no senatorial candidates in Akwa Ibom South, Ondo South, Zamfara North, Taraba North, Akwa Ibom North West, Cross River North, Edo Central, Niger East, Ondo Central, Osun East, Osun West and Zamfara West.
The final INEC list also exposes gaps in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s National Assembly campaign, particularly in the House of Representatives.
The PDP is not presenting candidates in a number of federal constituencies across Abia, Anambra, Borno, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Oyo and Sokoto states.
Among the affected constituencies are Ukwa East/Ukwa West in Abia; Anambra East/Anambra West, Ogbaru and Awka North/Awka South in Anambra; Biu/Kwaya-Kusar, Shani/Bayo, Kaga/Gubio/Magumeri and Monguno/Nganzai/Marte in Borno; and Burutu, Ethiope East, Ethiope West, Isoko, Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie and Warri in Delta.
In Edo, the party is missing candidates in Esan Central/Esan South/Igueben, Esan North East/Esan South East, Oredo, Orhionmwon/Uhunmwonde and Ovia North East/Ovia South West, while several constituencies in Ekiti, Kano, Osun and Oyo are also without PDP candidates.
In Osun State, the PDP is contesting only one of the nine federal constituencies, leaving eight constituencies without a party candidate.
Despite the gaps at the federal constituency level, the PDP has fielded senatorial candidates in most states. It has one senatorial candidate in Osun and the Federal Capital Territory, two each in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo, Niger, Ondo and Zamfara, and three candidates in several other states, including Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Delta, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba and Yobe.
The final candidate list also highlights the continued low representation of women in Nigeria’s federal elections.
According to INEC’s figures, only 462 women are contesting the 469 National Assembly seats, compared with 4,402 men.
Of the 462 women on the ballot, 121 are contesting Senate seats while 341 are vying for House of Representatives positions.
Lagos leads the number of female House of Representatives candidates with 31, followed by Imo with 21 and Anambra with 20, underscoring the persistent gender imbalance in Nigeria’s electoral politics.
Meanwhile, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), whose presidential candidate and running mate were dropped from the final list, said the decision was voluntary and linked to possible political realignment ahead of the 2027 election.
NNPP National Chairman, Agbo Major, said the party stepped down its presidential candidate for strategic reasons.
He said: “We stood down the name of our candidate and his running mate from the presidential election because we don’t want to contest the election and distort the ballot since we are looking at the possibility of going into an alliance with other parties, and once we take that decision, we will let you know.”
The latest INEC list therefore presents a sharply uneven political battlefield ahead of the 2027 elections, with the APC maintaining a full slate across the National Assembly contests while the major opposition parties enter the race with significant gaps in their candidate lists.
