The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has excluded the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate and some National Assembly flag bearers of the party from participating in the February 25 and March 11 election.
INEC, in an updated list published on its website, shows that the names of PDP’s governorship and deputy governorship candidates were missing.
PDP had submitted the names of Ifeanyi Ọdịi and Senator Igwe Nwagu as their governorship and deputy governorship candidates for Ebonyi State.
INEC has now updated the list and the names of the PDP governorship candidate and his deputy were conspicuously missing.
The three senatorial candidates of the party, Senator Sam Egwu (Ebonyi North); Lazy Ogbe (Ebonyi Central) and Senator Ama Nnachi (Ebonyi South) were also missing from the updated list.
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Five out of the six House of Representative candidates were also not included in the updated list. They included: Idu Igariwey (Afikpo North/South); Jerry Obasi (Ọhaozara/Onicha/Ivo); Ogbonnia Nwanne (Ikwo/Ezza South); Chukwuma Ofoke (Abakaliki/Izzi), and Victor Aleke (Ebonyi/Ohaukwu).
In the updated list, INEC listed Mr Emmanuel Nwoke as the candidate of PDP for Íshíelu/Ezza North constituency in place of Mr Obinna Nwachukwu who was listed as the candidate in the previous list released in September.
INEC, in a statement accompanying the new list, said their decision to effect some changes in the old list was based on court orders.
The statement reads: “The Commission published the final list of candidates for Presidential, Senatorial and House of Representatives elections on 20th September, 2022 and Governorship and State House of Assembly elections on 4th October, 2022 in accordance with the provisions of Section 32 of the Electoral Act, 2022 and the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Elections”, the statement accompanying the new list explained.
INEC noted that “after the said publication, the Commission was served Orders of Court in respect of the nomination of candidates for Governorship, Senatorial, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly elections”
“It is worthy of note that the list of candidates was amended in Amendment No. 1 published on the Commission’s website on 3rd November, 2022 pursuant to Court Orders and Death”
“By virtue of the provision of Section 287 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Commission is bound to enforce the Orders of Court on the Nomination of candidates by political parties in the affected Constituencies”
“Consequently, the lists of candidates in respect of the attached Senatorial Districts and Federal Constituencies, Governorship and State House of Assembly elections are amended pursuant to the Orders of Court served on the Commission as at 21s December, 2022 for upload on the Commission’s website.”
