Just in: INEC disqualifies SDP candidates Duke, Gana as commission clears others

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Thursday, January 17, cleared some candidates in the forthcoming general elections in Nigeria with some others unfortunate as they were disqualified.

INEC released a final presidential, senatorial and House of Representatives lists of candidates with the names of Donald Duke and Professor Jerry Gana, both contending candidates of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) disqualified.

Their vice presidential candidates were also omitted from the final list of the presidential candidates as the commission said this was done because of a pending case they have in court.

According to INEC, a total of 73 presidential candidates qualify for the election. These include that of the APC, Muhammadu Buhari; and that of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar.

Some others are Oby Ezekwesili, Christopher Okotie, Obaje Yusuf Ameh, Durotaye Adetokumbo, Salisu Yunusa Tanko and a female candidate, Angela Johnson Ann.

Daily Sun reports that the list for the senatorial candidates had Orji Uzor Kalu, Rochas Okorocha and Ibikunle Amosun even though the last two have issues with their partym, the APC.

The report quoted Mahmood Yakubu, INEC’s chairman, as saying a total 73 candidates are contesting in the presidential election, 1,904 in the senatorial and 4,680 in the House of Representatives elections.

This makes a total of 6,657 candidates contesting for 470 seats.

Mahmood, who spoke while meeting with the Committee of Vice-Chancellors (CVC) in Abuja, said: “The final list of candidates for the governorship, state Assembly and FCT council elections would be released in two weeks on Thursday, January 31, 2019, in accordance with the commission’s timetable and schedule of activities.

“Collation of results will take place in 8,809 registration areas or wards, in 774 local government areas and 36 states and the FCT. In addition, we require returning officers for the elections.

“For the 2019 general elections, the commission would require some 10,603 staff to support the various collation and declaration processes. It is for this reason that this meeting is of crucial importance.

“We need the support of our universities to source the requisite number of interested academic staff on the understanding that this is essentially a national service.

“As in previous elections, we have requested each university for a specified number of academic staff as contained in my letter to the vice chancellors. Staff who are card-carrying members or have participated in partisan politics should not be nominated.

“Similarly, those who may not be involved in partisan political activities but are known to have obvious political leanings should not be nominated. The commission will carefully scrutinise the list which must be submitted confidentially in the manner prescribed by the commission in my letter to the vice chancellors.

“The commission always appreciates the support of the vice chancellors and the collaboration with the universities often under strenuous circumstances. We shall continue to work together in our collective effort to consolidate our democracy.”

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