The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released the final list of presidential and National Assembly candidates from all political parties competing in the February 25 elections yesterday.
Section 32(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 and item 8 of the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election required the publication of the final list of candidates for national elections (presidential, senatorial, and federal constituencies).
Following the completion of the nomination process by political parties, the full names and addresses of all nominated candidates were published.
It was also a follow-up to the display of all nominated candidates’ personal information in their constituencies across the country, as required by Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act.
Festus Okoye, INEC’s National Commissioner in charge of Information and Chairman of Voter Education, previously stated that validly nominated candidates had the option to voluntarily withdraw their candidacy by giving written notice to the political parties that nominated them for the election.
Okoye said, “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.”
The list published contains the names of candidates validly nominated for national elections at the conclusion of the parties’ primaries, as well as the period set aside for candidate withdrawal and substitution.
On the final list were the presidential candidates of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar; the APC, Bola Tinubu; the Labour Party, Peter Obi; and the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Similarly on the presidential list were Oluwafemi Adenuga, presidential candidate of the Boot Party (BP), and his running mate, Turaku Mustapha; Daberechukwu Nwanyanwu, presidential candidate of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), and his running mate, Ramalan Abubakar; Dumebi Kachikwu, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and his running mate, Ahmed Mani; Hamsa Almust
The names on the list included Senator Goodwill Akoabio of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Peter Nwaobishi of Delta State, and Bashir Machina, who replaced Senate President Ahmed Lawan.
Former retired Deputy Inspector General of Police Ekpuudom was replaced by Akpabio, and Nwaoboshi, who was sentenced to seven years in prison by the Lagos Court of Appeal, is also on the list.
