2023: 10,231 candidates vying for 993 State Assembly seats – INEC

By Tunde Opalana

Ten thousand, two hundred and thirty one (10,241) candidates have been cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to contest 993 seats in states houses of assemblies across the country in the 2023 general election.

The Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Barrister Festus Okoye who made the disclosure also said the list for specific constituencies had been published in each state where they are located, while the comprehensive nationwide 894-page list has been uploaded to the Commission’s website.

The statement urged political parties to channel any observations on the list of candidates to the Commission and that such must be signed by the National Chairman and Secretary of the political party.

The statement read in part: “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 today, 4th October 2022, published the final list of candidates for State Elections (Governorship and State Assembly constituencies).

“The publication of the full names of candidates standing nominated for state elections follows the political parties’ conduct of primaries and completion of the nomination exercise. It will be recalled that at the end of the process, political parties that conducted valid primaries uploaded the list and personal particulars of all nominated candidates to the Commission’s candidates’ nomination portal and the subsequent display 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 August 12, 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 today contains the names of candidates validly nominated for State Elections at the close of party primaries and the period earmarked for withdrawal and substitution of candidates.”