By: Mercy Peter
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Wednesday published the final list of candidates for the February 3 2024 bye-elections.
INEC released the list and personal particulars on it social media handles and affected constituencies on the same day.
INEC said the elections are not open to disqualified candidate
No fewer than 74 candidates will be participating in thw February
Bye-elections would hold at two senatorial districts in Ebonyi South and Yobe East.
The elections would also hold in four federal constituencies – Shanga/Ngaski/Yauri in Kebbi; Surulere I in Lagos State; Akoko North East/Akoko North West in Ondo State and Jalingo/Yorro/Zing in Taraba.
Candidates would also contest elections into vacant state assembly seats in Guma I in Benue; Chibok in Borno and Chikun in Kaduna State.
Meanwhile, eight of the 74 candidates contesting for the nine vacant positions are female.
Three of the 10 candidates contesting for the only vacancy seat in Chikun, Kaduna State are female.
Overall, seven candidates are jostling for position in Borno; nine in Kebbi, 11 in Lagos State, while there are eight candidates in each of Ondo and Ebonyi states.
Benue and Yobe have five candidates each, while Taraba has 11 candidates. No female candidate is featuring in the three states.
INEC published the personal particulars and final list of the candidates for the bye-election in affected state offices on Wednesday.
Mr Sam Olumekun, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, said the list had also been published in the affected constituencies in compliance with the Electoral Act (2022).
“INEC appeals to Nigerians to scrutinise the personal particulars of the candidates.
“Any aspirant for the bye-election who participated in his or her party primary election with reasonable grounds to believe that the information provided by any candidate is false can challenge the nomination.
“Such aspirant is free to file a suit at a Federal High Court as provided for in the Electoral Act,’’ he said.
