The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released its final list of candidates for the 2023 general elections, which includes 3,875 male candidates and 381 female candidates.
The general elections will be held for the presidential, national, and state seats, as well as the governorship, however the list only includes federal offices.
Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Party (NNPP), Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC), Kachikwu Dumebi of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and 12 others are among the presidential candidates.
The final list of candidates for the polls was accepted by INEC at its normal weekly meeting on Tuesday, according to Festus Okoye, the electoral body’s national commissioner and head of the information and voter education committee.
Mr Okoye went on to say that the publishing was in accordance with section 32(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 and item 8 of the ‘Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election.’
Mr Okoye further stated that the list featured the names of candidates lawfully nominated for national elections at the conclusion of party primaries, as well as the period set out for candidate withdrawal and substitution.
The final list of candidates for state elections (governorship and state constituencies), according to an INEC official, would be published on October 4, as stated in the ‘Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election.’
“We observe that not all political parties held primaries in all seats, presented the particulars of candidates who emerged from lawful primaries, or substituted their candidates following fresh primaries within 14 days,” Mr Okoye added.
“This has resulted in countless lawsuits, some of which are still continuing,” he continued. Where the commission was served with court orders by disgruntled aspirants or candidates prior to the publishing of this list, these have been noted.
According to the commission’s spokeswoman, all 18 political parties have nominated candidates and running partners for the presidential election.
“For legislative elections, 1,101 candidates are fighting for 109 senate seats, and 3,122 candidates are contending for federal constituencies, i.e. House of Representatives seats, for a total of 4,223 individuals vying for 469 legislative posts,” he said. “In terms of gender distribution, there are 3,875 male candidates, including 35 for the presidential and vice-presidential elections, 1,008 for the Senate, and 2,832 for the House of Representatives.”
There are 381 females on the INEC list, one for the presidential election, 92 for the senatorial election, and 288 for the House of Representatives.
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