2027: ADC, NDC LEAVE GAPS IN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY CANDIDATE LISTS

The African Democratic Congress and Nigeria Democratic Congress have failed to field candidates for all the available seats in the Senate and House of Representatives ahead of the 2027 general elections, according to the final candidate lists released by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The development comes as political parties prepare for the January 16, 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections. While the ADC and NDC are among the opposition parties seeking to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress, their candidate lists show that they will not have representatives contesting every senatorial and federal constituency in the country.

INEC’s final list contains 1,195 candidates for the 109 Senate seats and 3,213 candidates for the 360 House of Representatives seats, bringing the total number of National Assembly candidates to 4,408. The figures show that several political parties have left some constituencies without candidates, meaning voters in those areas will have fewer options on the ballot.

The development is particularly significant for the ADC and NDC, which have emerged as major opposition platforms ahead of the election. The ADC is backing former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for president, while the NDC is fielding former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi. Both parties have attracted prominent politicians and supporters from other political platforms as preparations for the election intensify.

INEC’s final list also showed a significant gender gap, with 3,965 male candidates compared with 443 female candidates across the Senate and House of Representatives contests. The Senate has 1,080 male candidates and 115 female candidates, while the House has 2,885 male candidates and 328 female candidates. The final list sets the stage for the National Assembly contests as parties move into the final phase of preparations for the 2027 elections.