The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has listed 33 candidates to contest the three senatorial seats in Kaduna State in the January 2027 National Assembly elections.

The list includes former Kaduna State Governor, Mukhtar Yero; former Senator Shehu Sani; incumbent Senator Lawal Usman; and serving Senator Sunday Katung.

The final list signed by the secretary to the commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, showed that 12 candidates would contest the Kaduna North Senatorial District, 13 for Kaduna Central and eight for Kaduna South.

The candidates are drawn from various political parties.

In Kaduna North, Mr Yero of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is listed to contest against incumbent Senator Khalid of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Mr Yero, who served as governor of the state, is seeking a return to elective office through the Senate.

In Kaduna Central, former Senator Shehu Sani of the APC is challenging incumbent Senator Lawal Usman of the ADC.

Mr Sani previously represented the district in the Senate, while Mr Usman is seeking re-election.

Other candidates listed for Kaduna Central are Badamasi Hafsat of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Usman Lawal of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Jatau  Suleiman of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), and Ibrahim Sani of the National Democratic Party (NDP).

Others are Bala Joji of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Adamu Haruna of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Ibrahim Usman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Suleiman Babangida of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Salisu Suleiman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

In Kaduna South, incumbent Senator Katung of the APC is seeking re-election against candidates including Godfrey Gaiya of the ADC, Abel Solomon of the ADP, and Sa’ad Abubakar of the APM.

Others include Dauda Philibus of the NNPP, Gumbari Mataimaki of the PDP, Laura Lucas of the SDP, and Adeyemi Adebowale Abdulzeez of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

The final list contains the names of candidates, their political parties, ages, genders and listed qualifications.

The publication of the list formally identifies the candidates INEC cleared to contest the Kaduna North, Kaduna Central and Kaduna South senatorial elections scheduled for January 2027.

(NAN)