Ondo Poll: No Female Makes List as INEC Publishes Names of 17 Governorship Candidates

.Okays commencement of electioneering 

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the release of the final list of candidates for the Ondo State Governorship Election scheduled to hold on Saturday, November 16, 2024.

INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman,  Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, in a statement issued yesterday, said none of the 17 political parties participating in the election fielded a female governorship candidate.

He said following the initial primaries, the personal particulars of the governorship candidates and their running mates have been published in the state and local government offices of the commission.

According to him, the publication was in line with the provision of Section 33 of the Electoral Act 2022.

The commission added that two political parties conducted fresh primaries to replace their earlier nominated candidates and their running mates by the deadline of June 10, 2024. 

Olumekun said: “The parties are the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) while five parties replaced their running mates only. They are the African Action Congress (AAC), the Action Democratic Party (ADP), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).”

He noted that 17 political parties are fielding candidates for the election, stressing that, “no political party has nominated a female candidate while one candidate nominated by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is a person with disability (a paraplegic). The final list also gives the breakdown of the candidates by age and academic qualifications.

Olumekun stressed that the list has been published at INEC office in Akure and also uploaded on its website and social media platforms for public information. 

He said with the publication of the final list of candidates, the next activity is electioneering campaign. 

The national commissioner said as provided by Section 94(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, campaigns by political parties in public shall commence not earlier than 150 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day. 

Olumekun said: “Therefore, political parties are now permitted to start campaigning in public from Wednesday, June 19, 2024 and end at midnight on Thursday, November 14, 2024 as indicated in items 8 and 12 of the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the election.

“As parties commence this critical phase of the election, the Commission once again reminds candidates, agents and their supporters of the provision of the law and the Commission’s guidelines governing such activity. 

“For emphasis, parties shall conduct their campaigns with civility and decorum devoid of inciting language, violence, voter inducement and other infractions in accordance with the provisions of Section 92-97 of the Electoral Act 2022.”