The race for Nigeria’s 109 Senate seats has entered a new phase following the release of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections.
The list has effectively set the stage for a four-way contest across much of the country, with the All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) emerging as the most prominent contenders.
But beyond the party battle, the list has also revealed a major shake-up in the current Senate.
At least 52 serving senators will not return to the 11th National Assembly in 2027, while about 57 incumbent senators have secured tickets and remain in the race.
The Senate has 109 seats, with three senators elected from each of Nigeria’s 36 states and one senator representing the Federal Capital Territory.
That means almost half of the current Senate could be leaving the chamber after the 2027 election.
A major turnover in the Senate
The exit of the 52 senators does not mean all of them lost their party primaries.
For some, the Senate race simply gave way to other political ambitions.
In Ogun State, for example, Senator Ademola Solomon Olamilekan is leaving the Senate after securing the APC’s governorship ticket.
In Nasarawa, Senator Aliyu Wadada is also pursuing the governorship.
In Imo, Senator Osita Izunaso’s senatorial ticket was ceded to Governor Hope Uzodinma.
There are similar instances in other states where sitting governors or other powerful political actors have secured the senatorial tickets previously held by serving lawmakers.
Former Sokoto Governor and senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal is also among those who will not return. According to reports, he stepped aside for a younger candidate as part of a political power-sharing arrangement within the ADC.
So, the story behind the 52 exits is not simply about politicians losing elections.
It is also about political succession, governorship ambitions, party realignments and negotiations ahead of 2027.
APC remains a major force
The ruling APC enters the contest with a significant advantage in terms of its current presence in the National Assembly.
The party has also secured return tickets for several high-profile senators.
Among those on the final list are Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele and Chief Whip Mohammed Ali Ndume, among others.
But holding a seat in the current Senate does not guarantee a return.
The final contest will depend on the strength of the candidates, party structures, voter sentiment and the ability of opposition parties to translate their growing reach into actual votes.
NDC makes a broad push
One of the most notable features of the final list is the geographical spread of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), the party associated with presidential candidate Peter Obi.
The NDC has candidates in a large majority of the senatorial districts, although it is absent from several constituencies.
Reports based on the INEC list show the party missing candidates in areas including Bauchi, Yobe, Benue North-East, Jigawa North-East, Ekiti South and Kaduna South, with another analysis putting its total number of uncovered senatorial districts at 10.
That spread is significant because the NDC is a relatively new political platform compared with the APC and PDP.
Its ability to field candidates across such a large number of constituencies suggests that the party is attempting to build a national political structure rather than remain concentrated in traditional opposition strongholds.
ADC and PDP face their own challenges
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is also positioning itself as a major opposition platform ahead of 2027.
But the final list shows that the opposition field is far from uniform.
The PDP, Nigeria’s long-standing opposition party, faces gaps in some areas as politicians continue to move between parties and new alliances emerge.
This means the 2027 Senate election may not simply be an APC-versus-PDP contest.
Instead, voters could see a much more fragmented race involving several major parties, particularly the APC, ADC, NDC and PDP.
Some states could see intense battles
The final list also highlights states where incumbent senators have secured tickets and will attempt to defend their seats.
In Lagos, all three serving senators are on the list:
- Adetokunbo Abiru — Lagos East
- Idiat Adebule — Lagos West
- Sanni Eshilokun — Lagos Central
The same applies to Ekiti, where Opeyemi Bamidele, Yemi Adaramodu and Cyril Fasuyi are seeking another term.
In Akwa Ibom, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Aniekan Bassey and Ekong Sampson have also secured tickets.
All three serving senators in Borno State, including Mohammed Ali Ndume, are also on the list.
These states will therefore provide important tests of whether incumbency and party structures can withstand the broader political realignment taking place ahead of 2027.
APP gets a boost
Away from the four major contenders, the Action Peoples Party (APP) has also recorded a fresh boost.
Two serving members of the House of Representatives—Boma Goodhead of Rivers State and Alozie Munachim Ikechi of Abia State—have defected to the party.
They are joined by former federal lawmaker Uju Kingsley Chima of Imo State.
All three have emerged as APP candidates for their respective House of Representatives constituencies in the 2027 election.
Their movement strengthens the APP’s presence in the South-East and South-South and reflects a wider trend ahead of the 2027 elections: politicians are increasingly moving between platforms as they search for stronger electoral opportunities.
The bigger picture
The INEC final list does more than identify who is contesting.
It gives Nigerians an early picture of how the 2027 National Assembly battle is being shaped.
The most striking figure is the 52 serving senators who are currently outside the race.
But the bigger question is what their departure means for the balance of power in the next Senate.
Will the APC maintain its dominance?
Can the ADC and NDC convert opposition momentum into Senate seats?
Can the PDP recover lost ground?
And will the growing movement of politicians between parties translate into actual changes in voter behaviour?
With 109 Senate seats at stake, the answers will have major implications for the composition of Nigeria’s 11th National Assembly—and for the ability of the next government to pass its legislative agenda.
The 2027 Senate race is no longer just about who gets a party ticket.
It is now about who can turn that ticket into a seat in the Red Chamber.
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