INEC to publish final list of candidates for Edo Guber polls, urges Nigerians to scrutinize

INEC to publish final list of candidates for Edo Guber polls, urges Nigerians to scrutinize

Joel Oladele, Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced its intention to publish the final list and personal particulars of candidates for Edo Governorship election.

The Commission disclosed this in a statement signed by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, on Wednesday.

INEC stated that this in line with Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act 2022 which requires that the personal particulars of the Governorship candidates and their running mates should be published a week from the last date for the submission of nominations.

“Following the conclusion of party primaries, seventeen (17) Political Parties have uploaded their candidates’ nomination forms for the Edo State Governorship Election by the deadline of 6.00pm on 24th March 2024 when the dedicated portal automatically shut down. 

“The personal particulars of the Governorship candidates and their running mates will be published on Saturday 30th March 2024, a week from the last date for the submission of nominations as provided in Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act 2022,” the statement read in part.  

The Commission added that the personal particulars will be punished “by displaying copies of Form EC9 along with all academic credentials and other  documents submitted by each candidate at the State Headquaters and the 18 Local Government offices across Edo State.”

INEC therefore appealed to Nigerians to scrutinise the documents, noting that “Any aspirant who participated in his/her party primaries with reasonable grounds to believe that the information provided by the candidate is false can challenge the nomination in a Federal High Court as provided in Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022.”

The Edo State Governorship Election is scheduled to hold on Saturday 21st September 2024.