INEC to publish names of candidates for Bayelsa, Imo, Kogi governorship polls

The Independent National Electoral Commission said that the publication of the list and personal particulars of candidates for Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi state governorship polls will take place on Friday.

This was contained in a statement signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, INEC, Festus Okoye on Thursday.

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According to the statement, all 18 political parties nominated candidates for the Kogi Governorship election and 17 parties for Bayelsa and Imo states.

The statement read “Nigerians may recall that on Tuesday, October 25, 2022, the Commission released the timetable and schedule of activities for the three off-cycle Governorship elections in Bayelsa, lmo and Kogi states held on Saturday, November 11, 2023.

 “Political parties conducted their primaries as required by law and uploaded the names and personal particulars of their candidates and running mates to the INEC candidate nomination portal by the deadline of 6.00 pm on May 5, 2023.

“All the political parties sponsoring candidates for the three elections have submitted the duly completed Forms EC9 containing personal particulars supported by sworn affidavits as well as EC9B containing the names of their candidates.

“As required by section 29 (3) of the Electoral Act 2022, the Commission shall publish the personal particulars of the candidates in the State Headquarters and Local Government offices in the three states on Friday, May 12, 2023.

“We appeal to Nigerians to scrutinise the list. In particular, any aspirant who participated in their party’s primaries with reasonable grounds to believe that the information provided by the candidate is false can challenge the nomination at the Federal High Court as provided in section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022.”