Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the final list of candidates for the 2027 presidential election, featuring 18 candidates, but only two women have made the cut. Dr. Esther Nkem Okereke, 43, of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), and Hon. Ada Elizabeth Frederick Okwori, 48, of the National Democratic Party (NDP), are the two female candidates vying for the presidency. They account for 11.1 per cent of the presidential field, highlighting the continued dominance of men in Nigeria's politics.
Dr. Esther Nkem Okereke, one of the younger candidates on the list, secured the NRM's ticket at the party's national convention in Abuja in May 2026. As an actress and filmmaker, Okereke has also been involved in entrepreneurship and humanitarian initiatives, supporting vulnerable groups. Her move into politics represents a shift from her entertainment and humanitarian work to a bid for Nigeria's highest political office. Her political platform, the ESTHER Agenda, focuses on issues including education, security, technology, housing, entrepreneurship, and restitution.
Okereke is running with 35-year-old Sulaiman Nasir Muhammed, making their ticket one of the younger presidential pairings in the 2027 race. INEC lists Okereke's qualifications as the First School Leaving Certificate, Senior Secondary School Certificate, BSc, MSc, and PhD, while Muhammed is listed with the First School Leaving Certificate and Senior Secondary School Certificate. Okereke has also emphasized the importance of women's and young people's participation in the democratic process.
Ada Elizabeth Frederick Okwori, the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Party (NDP), enters the 2027 race from a different route. The NDP is a relatively new political platform that obtained registration following a legal battle with INEC. Okwori, identified by INEC as the NDP's national chairman, was among the party promoters who challenged INEC's earlier refusal to register the political association. In February 2026, the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered INEC to register the party.
Okwori is contesting alongside Chukwuemeka Uchenna Anthony, also 48, as her vice-presidential candidate. INEC lists her qualifications as the First School Leaving Certificate, Senior Secondary School Certificate, and Higher National Diploma in Accountancy. The NDP says its platform is built around accountable leadership, inclusion, national development, and putting citizens at the centre of governance. The party has also identified women's participation as part of its political agenda.
The significance of Okereke and Okwori's candidacies extends beyond the presidential ballot, highlighting the underrepresentation of women in Nigerian politics. INEC's final list contains 18 presidential candidates, of whom only two are women. At the vice-presidential level, four women are listed among the 18 running mates. The numbers become similarly stark at the National Assembly level, where only 443 out of 4,408 candidates contesting Senate and House of Representatives seats are women.
The 2027 election will provide a national platform for Okereke and Okwori to present their respective political visions. Their presence adds another chapter to the continuing question of how many Nigerian women can move from participating in politics to occupying the highest levels of political power. The election will also highlight the need for increased women's participation and representation in Nigerian politics.
Key points
- Only two women, Dr. Esther Nkem Okereke and Hon. Ada Elizabeth Frederick Okwori, are among the 18 candidates vying for the presidency in Nigeria's 2027 election.
