2027: Meet two women in race against Tinubu, Atiku, Obi
As Nigeria approaches the 2027 presidential election, notable candidates include President Bola Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi. Two women, Ada Elizabeth Fredrick Okwori and Nkem Esther Okereke, are also vying for the presidency, making their mark as the only female candidates among the 18 individuals listed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Okwori, 48, represents the National Democratic Party (NDP) and hails from Benue State. She emerged as her party’s candidate through a consensus arrangement and will run alongside her 48-year-old running mate, Uchenna Anthony Chukwuemeka. As the founder of the NDP, Okwori has prioritized women’s political participation, advocating for a minimum of 40 percent female representation in the party’s executive and candidate structures. Additionally, she has proposed allocating 15 percent of Nigeria’s national budget to education.
Okereke, 43, is the presidential candidate for the National Rescue Movement (NRM). A former actress in Nollywood, she was elected as her party’s candidate during its convention in Abuja on May 29. Okereke’s campaign team includes her running mate, 35-year-old Nasir Muhammed Sulaiman. Her “ESTHER Agenda” emphasizes education, security, technology, housing, entrepreneurship, and restitution, while she has identified education and electricity as critical areas in need of urgent reform.
While Okwori and Okereke are the only women running for the presidency, four additional women appear on the final candidate list as running mates. They include Peace Egobia Ofordile from the Action Peoples Party, Nafisat Usaku Abubakar of the Democratic Labour Alliance, Hajja Bintu Konto of the Labour Party, and Patience Ndidi Key from the Young Progressives Party. This brings the total number of women on presidential and vice-presidential tickets to six; the remaining fourteen vice-presidential candidates are male.
The final list of candidates reflects recent changes made by various parties, including the Young Progressives Party’s substitution of its original candidate, Anita Zugwai-Chukwu, with Peter Agada following her withdrawal in August. Patience Ndidi Key has since been confirmed as the running mate for Agada.
The presidential and National Assembly elections are set for January 16, 2027, with the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections scheduled for February 6.
