The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the final list of candidates for the 18 senatorial seats across Nigeria’s six Southwest states ahead of the January 2027 elections.
According to the list, 200 candidates are set to contest the Senate seats in Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti states.
However, the list reveals a significant gender imbalance, with only 21 women among the 200 candidates. This represents 10.5 per cent of the total field, while men account for 179 candidates, or 89.5 per cent.
Osun Leads With 39 Candidates
Osun State has the highest number of senatorial candidates in the region, with 39 contestants across its three senatorial districts.
Seven women are among the candidates in the state, giving Osun the highest number of female Senate contenders in the Southwest.
Oyo follows with 38 candidates, including four women, while Ogun has 37 candidates, also with four women.
Lagos recorded 36 candidates, with three women on the list. Ondo has 31 candidates but only one woman, while Ekiti has the smallest field with 19 candidates, including two women.
Southwest Senate Candidates by State
| State | Total Candidates | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|---|
| Osun | 39 | 7 | 32 |
| Oyo | 38 | 4 | 34 |
| Ogun | 37 | 4 | 33 |
| Lagos | 36 | 3 | 33 |
| Ondo | 31 | 1 | 30 |
| Ekiti | 19 | 2 | 17 |
| Total | 200 | 21 | 179 |
84-Year-Old Candidate in Oyo
The Oyo list features 84-year-old Owoyemi Obafemi Emmanuel, who is contesting the Oyo North Senatorial District on the platform of the Labour Party.
Oyo North has 12 candidates, while Oyo South also has 12. The remaining candidates are spread across the state’s three senatorial districts.
Ondo Records Lowest Female Representation
Ondo State has one of the smallest female representations in the Southwest Senate contest.
Only one woman, Omolabaro Shina Omotilewa, appears among the state’s 31 candidates. She is contesting the Ondo North Senatorial District.
Ekiti has two female candidates among its 19 contestants, while Lagos has three women out of 36 candidates.
21 Political Parties in the Race
The INEC list also demonstrates the wide range of political parties participating in the Southwest Senate contest.
A total of 21 party labels appear on the list. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) and All Progressives Congress (APC) each have 18 candidates, while the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) have 17 candidates each.
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has 16 candidates, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has 15.
Other parties represented include the Action Alliance (AA), Action Democratic Party (ADP), Labour Party (LP), Allied Peoples Party (APP), New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Young Progressives Party (YPP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and others.
Candidates Range From 35 to 84
The candidate list also reflects a broad age range.
The youngest candidates identified are 35 years old, while the oldest is the 84-year-old Labour Party candidate in Oyo North.
The spread means candidates in the Southwest Senate contest cover almost five decades in age.
The final list does not indicate which candidates are likely to win. It simply establishes the contestants officially cleared by INEC for the January 2027 senatorial elections.
The release is expected to give voters a clearer picture of the political competition across the six Southwest states ahead of the polls.
