The release of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) final list of presidential candidates has moved the 2027 presidential contest into a more definitive phase, with 18 presidential candidates now formally listed for the January 2027 election. The final document provides not only the names and ages of the candidates but also the educational qualifications they declared to the commission.
A review of the INEC document shows notable differences in the level of educational information supplied by some of the leading contenders.
Peter Obi — NDC
Peter Gregory Obi, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, is listed at age 65, with Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, 69, as his running mate.
Obi’s academic record in the INEC document begins with St. Augustine’s Primary School, followed by Christ the King College (C.K.C.), Anambra, where the document records his WASC qualification. It then lists the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and a B.A. degree.
The record therefore presents a progression from primary education through secondary school to university education, culminating in a bachelor’s degree.
His running mate, Kwankwaso, is listed with a considerably longer academic record: FSLC, TTC, Craft Training Certificate, OND, HND, PGD, M.Sc. and Ph.D.
Bola Tinubu — APC
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, 74, is listed as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), with Vice-President Kashim Shettima as his running mate.
The final INEC document records B.Sc. as Tinubu’s academic qualification. The document does not, on this final-list page, provide the same sequential primary-and-secondary-school details shown for some other candidates.
This distinction is significant because INEC had earlier published candidates’ personal particulars and supporting credentials for public scrutiny. Contemporary reporting on that earlier publication noted that Tinubu’s submission listed his university degree, while Atiku and Obi provided more extensive educational histories.
Atiku Abubakar — ADC
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, 79, is listed as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), with former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi, 61, as his running mate.
The INEC document records Atiku’s academic qualifications as F.S.L.C., WASC and M.A. in International studies.
His academic record therefore reflects progression from primary and secondary education to a postgraduate master’s qualification.
Omoyele Sowore — AAC
Another prominent opposition candidate, Omoyele Sowore, 55, is listed under the African Action Congress (AAC), with Magashi Haruna Garba as his running mate.
The final list records Sowore’s qualifications as FSLC, WAEC and Master’s Degree.
Sunday Okereke — Labour Party
The Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Sunday Chibuzo Okereke, 43, is listed with Hajja Bintu Konto, 54, as his running mate.
INEC records Okereke’s qualifications as FSLC, NABTEB, Ph.D., MLS (Distinction), MSc (Distinction) and BSc (Hons).
On the face of the published record, this makes his declared academic portfolio one of the most extensive among the leading candidates.
Donald Duke — PRP
Former Cross River State governor Donald Duke, 64, is listed as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), with Rabiu Kabiru as his running mate.
The INEC document records Duke’s qualifications as FSLC, WASC and LLB.
Adewole Adebayo — SDP
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, Adewole Ebenezer Adebayo, 54, is listed with Usman Muhammed Bugaje as his running mate.
Adebayo’s declared qualifications are FSLC, WASCE and LLB, while his running mate is listed with FSLC, SSCE and Ph.D.
What the records reveal
The academic information in the INEC final list demonstrates that the 2027 presidential field contains candidates with markedly different educational trajectories — from secondary-school qualifications to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.
However, academic qualifications alone do not establish who would make the best president. Presidential leadership also involves economic competence, administrative experience, integrity, policy judgment, constitutional knowledge, security management and the ability to unite a diverse country.
What the INEC publication does provide is an official snapshot of the educational qualifications declared by the candidates themselves and published by the electoral commission. The commission’s final document is expressly titled “Presidential and National Assembly Elections for Jan, 2027 – Presidential Final List of Candidates.”
The publication therefore gives voters an important basis for comparing the backgrounds of the contenders — but voters should distinguish between academic credentials, professional experience and actual records of public service when assessing who should govern Nigeria.
The final list was signed by INEC Secretary Rose Oriaran-Anthony.
