Abuja, Nigeria – September 15, 2026
DDNewsOnline
INEC’s release of the final list of candidates has intensified competition among the All-Progressives Congress (APC), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for senatorial seats ahead of the general elections.
Following the Independent National Electoral Commission’s publication of the final list of 4,408 legislative candidates on September 13, 2026, the official alignment of power in the upper chamber highlights a highly competitive field.
With the APC holding a dominant majority, opposition parties are heavily targeting key battleground zones to break the ruling party’s upper chamber dominance.
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Political party leaders across Nigeria have accelerated their grassroots mobilization following INEC’s publication. Since the official public campaign window does not open until November 18, 2026, parties are using strategic stakeholder engagements, town halls, and consultations to solidify local party structures.
The APC’s Presidential Campaign Director-General, Senator Abubakar Yari, launched the party’s first major outing by initiating high-level consultations with religious and traditional institutions. This includes securing endorsements from the Sultan of Sokoto and driving a massive state-level youth outreach campaign in Katsina.
Strategic alignment is intensifying in the South-West. In Ekiti State, the opposition NDC has initiated aggressive community outreach programmes, specifically targeting the Ekiti North senatorial district to build structural depth, citing a lack of grassroots coordination as their downfall in previous elections.
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The governing APC has targeted market associations, youth blocks and women’s groups in critical zones. Eleven APC-led states have already formed a pact promising to secure a combined 15.2 million votes by locking down local government areas and smaller polling units.
Key Battleground Zones
Political analysts point to specific geopolitical zones where the battle for Senate control will be most intense.
North-West (Kano, Kaduna and Katsina)
The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has traditionally held immense sway in Kano, but recent high-profile defections of NNPP leaders to the APC — orchestrated by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin — have shifted the momentum. Analysts expect a fierce three-way contest between the APC, PDP and the remnants of the NNPP.
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South-South (Rivers and Delta)
In Rivers State, the ongoing power tussle between Governor Siminalayi Fubara (PDP) and his predecessor Nyesom Wike (now an APC ally) has fractured local party structures. Analysts note that this internal division opens a window for the APC to snatch crucial senatorial seats previously guaranteed to the PDP.
South-East
While popular support for the NDC remains high, political analysis has highlighted that the NDC’s failure to field candidates in 10 senatorial districts nationwide creates a structural deficit. The APC is actively capitalising on these gaps, using state machinery and local alliances to make deeper inroads into the South-East legislative map.
North-Central (Kwara and Benue)
In Kwara State, the collapse of prominent local APC structures into the PDP has turned the state’s senatorial seats into immediate toss-ups. Concurrently, reports indicate that over 20 National Assembly members across the region are weighing tactical shifts to the ADC, turning it into a formidable dark-horse challenger in the zone.
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The ruling APC maintains a structural advantage with a commanding majority of Senate seats and full national ballot coverage, though opposition parties are positioning themselves to challenge this dominance in critical swing zones.
The final composition of the next Senate will ultimately depend on localized candidate strength and the effectiveness of grassroots mobilization ahead of the February 2027 polls.
By: Komolafe Barakah