INEC to Publish List, Particulars of Candidates for Bayelsa, Imo, Kogi Guber Elections Today

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that it would publish the list and personal particulars of the governorship candidates for Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo governorship elections today(Friday, May 12, 2023).

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, in a statement issued yesterday  said the list and the particulars would be published at the  State Headquarters and Local Government offices in the three States.

The electoral body had scheduled November 11, 2023 for the off season elections in the three states.

The commission  recalled  that on Tuesday 25thof  October 2022, it released the timetable and schedule of activities for the three off-cycle governorship elections in the three states.

The commission stressed that 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 6.00pm on 5th May 2023.

It noted: “All the 18 political parties have nominated candidates for the Kogi Governorship election and 17 parties for Bayelsa and Imo States. 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 tomorrow Friday 12th May 2023.”

The commission appealed to Nigerians to scrutinise the list, especially any aspirant who participated in his/her party’s primaries with reasonable grounds to believe that the information provided by the candidate was false could challenge the nomination at the Federal High Court as provided in section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022.