…INEC releases final list of candidates for 2023 elections
Ahead of the 2023 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has disclosed that a total of 4,223 candidates contesting for 469 legislative positions.
INEC made the disclosure in its final list of candidates contesting the 2023 general election released late Tuesday, in Abuja.
According to the commission, all the 18 political parties have fielded candidates and their running mates for the presidential election which is scheduled to hold on the 25th of February 2023.
A breakdown of candidates for legislative elections, provided by INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, in a statement, showed that 1,101 candidates are vying for 109 senatorial seats while 3,122 candidates are vying for House of Representatives seats, making a total of 4,223 candidates contesting for 469 legislative positions.
“In terms of gender distribution, 3,875 candidates are male, made up of 35 for Presidential and Vice Presidential, 1,008 for Senate and 2,832 for House of Representatives. Similarly, 381 females comprising 1 for Presidential, 92 for Senate, and 288 for House of Representatives are contesting. There are also 11 Persons with Disability (PWDs) in the race,” INEC said.
It was, however, observed that INEC was yet to fill a candidate for the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Yobe North Senatorial District where Senate President Ahmed Lawan is from.
INEC said it approved the final list of candidates for national elections- Presidential, Senatorial and Federal Constituencies- at its regular weekly meeting held on Tuesday, pursuant to section 32(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 and item 8 of the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election.
The commission therefore appealed to all political parties to channel any observations on the list of candidates to the Commission and such must be signed by the National Chairman and Secretary of the political party and supported with an affidavit as provided in section 32(2) of the Electoral Act 2022.
“The publication of the full names and addresses of all nominated candidates follows the political parties’ conduct of primaries and completion of the nomination exercise. Nigerians may recall that at end of the process, the personal particulars of all nominated candidates were displayed in their constituencies nationwide as provided by section 29(3) of the Electoral Act.
“Subsequently, validly nominated candidates had the opportunity to voluntarily withdraw their candidature by notice in writing and personally deliver such notice to the political party that nominated them for the election.
“Thereafter, political parties substituted such candidates under section 31 of the Electoral Act for which the last day was 15th July 2022 for national elections and 12th August 2022 for State elections as clearly provided in item 6 of the commission’s timetable and schedule of activities. Thereafter, no withdrawal or substitution of candidates is allowed except in the event of death as provided in section 34(1) of the Electoral Act or pursuant to an order of a court of competent jurisdiction,” it said.
The commission noted that the list published on Tuesday contains the names of candidates validly nominated for national elections at the close of party primaries and the period earmarked for withdrawal and substitution of candidates.
It further said the final list of candidates for State elections- Governorship and State Constituencies- will be published on 4th October 2022 as already indicated on the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election.
“We note the fact that not all the political parties conducted primaries in all the constituencies, submitted the particulars of candidates that emerged from valid primaries or substituted their candidates after fresh primaries within 14 days as provided in section 33 of the Electoral Act.
“This has led to numerous litigations, some of which are ongoing. Where the commission was served with Court orders by aggrieved aspirants or candidates before the publication of this list, these have been indicated under the remark column,” the statement said.
INEC stated that the list for specific constituencies is published in each state where they are located while the comprehensive nationwide list has been uploaded to the commission’s website.