Nigeria’s 2027 presidential candidates set out competing policy promises
With 18 presidential candidates listed for Nigeria’s January 2027 election, campaigns have focused on living costs, fuel prices, electricity, security, jobs and economic management. President Bola Tinubu is defending his reforms, while Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and Adewole Adebayo have offered different proposals on subsidies, energy and public services.
Nigeria’s 18 presidential candidates have begun presenting competing plans on the economy, fuel pricing, electricity, security, education, employment and social welfare ahead of the January 2027 general election. The Independent National Electoral Commission released the final list of candidates and running mates on September 12, 2026. The field includes President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress and other candidates including Omoyele Sowore and Donald Duke.
Tinubu is seeking a second term while defending the removal of petrol subsidy and changes to the foreign-exchange system. He has highlighted investment in infrastructure, power, education, security, domestic refining and the oil sector, and said a further term would focus on industrialisation, energy security, food sufficiency and economic expansion. Atiku has promised to restore petrol subsidy, saying Nigerians have not seen sufficient benefits from savings after its removal.
His campaign has said the proposal would be linked to domestic crude production and refining, including a production subsidy for locally refined products. The APC Presidential Campaign Council has questioned the legal and fiscal basis of the plan. Obi has also proposed a transparent fuel intervention and said an administration led by him and Rabiu Kwankwaso would track oil production, transactions and revenues.
He has said he would retain the floating naira policy while seeking higher productivity, and has promised expanded investment in agriculture, education, security, infrastructure, healthcare and rail. Social Democratic Party candidate Adewole Adebayo has promised to tackle insecurity within four years. His manifesto proposes four functional refineries, 75,000 megawatts of electricity generation and a petrol price of N200 per litre.
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