The two leading opposition parties – the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and African Democratic Congress (ADC) – are unable to match the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)’s capacity to field candidates for National Assembly seats in the January 16, 2027 elections.
This is according to the final lists of candidates released on Saturday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), reports The Nation.
There are 360 House of Representatives seats and 109 Senate seats to be contested.
NDC, on whose platform Peter Obi is running for president, could not field candidates in 10 senatorial districts.
Also, the party led by Senator Seriake Dickson, former governor of Bayelsa State, is unable to present candidates for 33 House of Representatives seats.
The list also shows that ADC lacks candidates in one senatorial district and 13 federal constituencies.
This makes a total of 14 National Assembly seats that ADC will not contest, contrary to the 142 total number of seats as reported yesterday.
The gender analysis of the list shows that 462 women are contesting federal parliamentary seats, as against 4,402 men.
Of the number, 121 women are senatorial candidates, while 341 women are contesting for the House of Representatives.
According to the figures, NDC is fielding candidates in 99 of the 109 senatorial districts and 327 of the 360 federal constituencies, representing 91 per cent of the total seats in the National Assembly.
The 10 senatorial districts where the NDC 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.
The 33 federal constituencies where the party has no candidate are spread across 16 states.
The party has no candidate 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.
Based on the INEC figures, the NDC has candidates for 426 of the 469 seats in the National Assembly.
The APC is contesting in all 109 senatorial districts and 360 House of Representatives constituencies.
No ADC, APM candidates in 60 federal constituencies
ADC and APM are not fielding candidates in 60 federal constituencies and six senatorial districts across the country.
While APM has no candidate in 47 federal constituencies and five senatorial districts, ADC has no candidate in 13 federal constituencies and one senatorial district.
The gaps are noticeable in Edo, Kano, Borno, Anambra and Enugu states.
In Kano, ADC has no candidates in six constituencies. The affected constituencies are 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, and Amuwo-Odofin and Shomolu constituencies in Lagos State.
Also, ADC has no candidate in Etsako East/Etsako West/Etsako Central in Edo State, Lavun/Mokwa/Edati in Niger State and Bungudu/Maru in Zamfara State.
APM’s shortfall
The APM has no candidate in 47 federal constituencies and five senatorial districts across 18 states.
In Edo, the party has no candidate in nine constituencies.
These are 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.
Also, APM is not fielding candidates in five constituencies in Borno.
They are Jere, Kaga/Gubio/Magumeri, Biu/Kwaya-Kusar, Shani/Bayo and Bama/Ngala/Kala-Balge.
Also, it has no senatorial candidate in Borno North.
Other states where APM is not fielding candidates are Anambra (Onitsha North/Onitsha South, Njikoka/Dunukofia/Anaocha, Idemili North/Idemili South, Nnewi North/Nnewi South/Ekwusigo and Orumba North/Orumba South);
Enugu (Aninri/Awgu/Oji River, Enugu East/Isi Uzo, Enugu North/Enugu South and Nkanu East/Nkanu West); Ekiti (Ado Ekiti/Irepodun/Ifelodun, Emure/Gbonyin/Ekiti East and Ijero/Ekiti West/Efon); Kogi (Idah/Igalamela Odolu/Ibaji/Ofu, Ijumu/Kabba-Bunu and Yagba East/Yagba West/Mopamuro); Rivers (Ahoada West/Ogba Egbema, Khana/Gokana and Port Harcourt I); Plateau (Jos North/Bassa and Jos South/Jos East) and Lagos (Eti-Osa and Lagos Island II).
Others are Akwa Ibom (Ikot Abasi/Mkpat Enin/Eastern); Ondo (Ondo East/Ondo West); and Zamfara (Gummi/Bukkuyum).
APM is not fielding senatorial contenders in Akwa Ibom South, Ondo South and Zamfara North.
Other constituencies are Dala in Kano; Ngaski/Shanga/Yauri in Kebbi; Magama/Rijau in Niger; Atakunmosa East/Atakunmosa West/Ilesha East/Ilesha West in Osun; and four constituencies in Yobe – Bursari/Geidam/Yunusari, Damaturu/Gujba/Gulani/Tarmuwa, Fika/Fune and Machina/Nguru/Yusufari/Karasuwa.
The party also has no candidate in Taraba North Senatorial District.
The party is not presenting candidates in Akwa Ibom North West, Cross River North, Edo Central, Niger East, Ondo Central, Osun East, Osun West and Zamfara West senatorial districts.
States without PDP candidates for House of Representatives
In the House of Representatives, PDP is not presenting candidates in Abia: Ukwa East/Ukwa West; Anambra: Anambra East/Anambra West, Ogbaru, Awka North/Awka South; Borno: Biu/Kwaya-Kusar, Shani/Bayo, Kaga/Gubio/Magumeri and Monguno/Nganzai/Marte; Delta: Burutu, Ethiope East and Ethiope West, Isoko, Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie and Warri; Edo: Esan Central/Esan South/Igueben, Esan North East/Esan South East, Oredo, Orhionmwon/Uhunmwonde, Ovia North East/Ovia South West; Ekiti: Ekiti South West/Ikere/Orun/Ise, Emure/Gbonyin/Ekiti East, Ido/Osi/Moba/Ilejeme, Ijero/Ekiti West/Efon; Kano: Rano/Bunkure/Kibiya, Doguwa/Tudun Wada and Dambatta/Makoda; Katsina (Katsina); Kebbi: Arewa/Dandi; Lagos: Lagos Mainland; Nasarawa: Awe/Doma/Keana; Niger: Lavun/Mokwa/Edati; Ondo: Akoko North East/Akoko North West, Owo/Ose; Osun: Irepodun/Olorunda/Osogbo/Orolu, Odo-Otin/Ifelodun/Boripe, Boluwaduro/Ifedayo/Ila, Atakunmosa East/Atakunmosa West/Ilesha East/Ilesha West, Obokun/Oriade, Ayedire/Iwo/Ola-Oluwa, Ayedaade/Irewole/Isokan, Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo; Oyo: Akinyele/Lagelu, Egbeda/Ona-Ara, Saki East/Saki West/Atisbo, Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa, Ogbomoso North/Ogbomoso South/Orire; and Sokoto: Illela/Gwadabawa.
462 women in race
No fewer than 462 women are on the ballot, according to the INEC list.
The figure comprises 121 women candidates for the 109 senatorial seats and 341 for the House of Representatives.
The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), whose presidential candidate and his running mate were dropped from the final list of candidates, said it voluntarily stepped down.
However, PDP fielded candidates for most of the seats.
It has one senatorial candidate in Osun and the FCT, two each in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo, Niger, Ondo and Zamfara states, and three candidates in 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 states.
In the House of Representatives, the party is not presenting at least one candidate in a few states, including Abia, Katsina, Kebbi, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger and Sokoto.
Also, PDP is not contesting House of Representatives seats in three federal constituencies in Anambra, two in Borno, five in Delta, four in Edo, four in Ekiti, three in Kano, two in Ondo and five in Oyo.
The party does not have candidates in eight federal constituencies in Osun State, where it is presenting only one candidate in the nine federal constituencies.
Women’s participation still low
However, despite the campaign for greater participation of women in the electoral process, fewer women are taking part in the polls.
Lagos, Imo and Anambra have the highest number of women, with 31, 21 and 20 women respectively vying for seats in the House of Representatives.
Why NNPP stepped down, by chairman
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.”
