The Nigerian presidential elections for 2027 are drawing closer, and it is important for Nigerians to know the candidates vying for the presidential seat.
Although it has been announced that the sitting president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will run again for president as the APC candidate, there are other candidates you may not know about. In this article, we list 10 presidential candidates you should know about.
- Peter Gregory Obi
Peter Gregory Obi is a Nigerian politician and businessman who is running for the Nigerian presidential elections under the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). Before running for president in 2023, Peter Obi served as the governor of Anambra State from 17 March 2006 until his impeachment on 2 November 2006. He was, however, reinstated on February 9, 2007, 3 months after his impeachment, and he continued on as the governor, going on to be re-elected for a second term. Although he was initially running for the presidency as a Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi defected to the Nigeria Democratic Congress in 2026 after a dispute with members of the Labour Party.
- Atiku Abubakar
Atiku Abubakar is a Nigerian politician and businessman who has been active in politics since the 1980s. His political career started as a member of the People’s Front of Nigeria in the 1980s, and in 1999, he served as the vice president of Nigeria until 2007. Atiku went on to run unsuccessfully for the office of governor of Adamawa State in 1990 and 1996 before being elected in 1998. Before he was sworn in as the governor, he became the running mate for Olusegun Obasanjo during his presidential tenure. Atiku has been a presidential candidate for the last 19 years without winning and is running under ADC for the 2027 elections.
- Seyi Makinde
Seyi Makinde is a Nigerian engineer, businessman, politician and the current governor of Oyo State. Seyi’s political career started with him contesting for the Oyo South Senatorial seat under the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), an election he lost to the People’s Democratic Party candidate, Kamoru Adedibu. He attempted to run for the position again in 2010, under the PDP (People’s Democratic Party), but lost the election. However, he continued in his political career, and in 2019 he was elected executive governor of Oyo State, a position he has continued to hold. On the 30th of May, 2026, Seyi Makinde was announced as the presidential candidate of the Allied People’s Movement (APM).
- Kennedy Ahanotu
Kennedy Ahanotu is a Nigerian politician and climate change activist whose political career began in 2016 when he joined the Labour Party (LP), where he assumed the role of the Abuja Municipal Area Council Secretary of the LP in 2017. A large majority of Kennedy Ahanotu’s political career has been rooted in grassroots politics, and in 2026, he was announced as the Labour Party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 elections.
- Sowore Omoyele
Sowore Omoyele is a Nigerian politician, writer, lecturer, and pro-democracy campaigner notable for his humanitarian work. Sowere’s background as an activist dates back to 1989, when he participated in student protests. He is controversial for being arrested by the DSS on treason charges, and in August 2018, he founded the African Action Congress and ran as its presidential candidate in the 2019 Nigerian general election. After losing, he went ahead to compete for a second time during the 2023 presidential elections. Sowore is once again competing for the 2027 elections under his party, AAC.
- Onor Sandy Ojang
Onor Sandy Ojang is a Nigerian politician who served as the senator for the Cross River Central senatorial district for 4 years. Sandy Ojang’s political career began in 1999 when he left his academic position at the University of Calabar to serve as the executive chairman of the Etung Local Government Council in Cross River State. As a member of the People’s Democratic Party, Ojang was chosen to represent his party for the upcoming 2027 Nigerian presidential election.
- Adewole Adebayo
Adewole Adebayo is a lawyer, politician, media entrepreneur and political activist running for the 2027 presidential election as a candidate of the Social Democratic Party. Adebayo became involved in Nigerian politics in the 1990s as a student, engaging in political advocacy. This is, however, not Adewole Adebayo’s first time contesting the Nigerian presidency, as he ran in the 2023 Nigerian general election as a presidential candidate for the Social Democratic Party (Nigeria). In May 2026, he was returned unopposed as the SDP’s presidential candidate for the 2027 Nigerian general election following the SDP’s convention.
- Donald Duke
Donald Duke is notable for serving as governor of Cross River State, Nigeria, from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007 and for having an extensive career spanning over 20 years in the Nigerian political scene. Donald Duke has contested for the position of Nigerian President twice, first contesting in 2019 as the presidential candidate for the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and in 2026, he was announced as the chosen candidate for the ADC (African Democratic Congress) just a few years after he defected to the PDP from the SDP.
- Chibuzo Okere
Chibuzo Okere is a Nigerian legislative governance expert and public policy strategist, and the second presidential candidate from the Labour Party (LP) competing in the 2027 elections. Chibuzo Okereke began his political career during his university days, serving as the Golden Jubilee Students’ Union president at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He later transitioned into national politics as the Deputy National Youth Leader of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) before eventually rising to the top as a presidential candidate.
- Anita Zugwei-Chukwu
Anita Zugwei-Chukwu is a Nigerian politician, philanthropist, and the sole presidential candidate of the Youth Progressives Party (YPP) for the 2027 general elections. She previously served as the party’s National Woman Leader and is recognised for her advocacy in inclusive, people-centred governance. Her career in politics began with her serving as national women’s leader for the Youth Progressive People and then as the financial secretary/treasurer for the National Women’s Political Forum across all registered political parties. Anita is the only female candidate contesting the 2027 presidential elections.
