The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that 73 candidates will contest in the 2019 presidential election.

This was made public in the electoral commission's final list of candidates for the 2019 elections released on Thursday, January 17, 2018.

Although the Social Democratic Party (SDP) was on the list, no candidate was shortlisted as Jerry Gana and Donald Duke are currently in court battling over who's the party's legitimate candidate.

Even though the election has been billed as a keen contest between incumbent president, Muhammadu Buhari, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice President, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), they both face competition from 71 others.

Some of the other candidates include Kingsley Moghalu of the Young Progressive Party (YPP), Obiageli Ezekwesili of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Fela Durotoye of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC).

Others are Tope Fasua of the Abundance Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP), Eunice Atuejide of the National Interest Party (NIP), Adesina Fagbenro-Byron of the Kowa Party (KP), Chike Ukaegbu of the Advanced Allied Party (AAP), Hamza Al-Mustapha of the People's Party of Nigeria (PPN), Obadiah Mailafia of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim of Peoples Trust (PT) and many more.

INEC also released the list of candidates for the National Assembly elections which will also take place on February 16, same as the presidential election.