INEC clears 12 female gov’ship candidates for Kogi, Bayelsa polls

Says 59 parties in Kogi, 64 parties in Bayelsa to field candidates

Tunde Opalana, Abuja

Twelve female candidates (four in Kogi and eight in Bayelsa) have been cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to contest the November 16 governorship polls in the two states.

This fact was contained in the reports of the INEC’s committees that monitored  primary elections of political parties  in Kogi and Bayelsa states.

An INEC bulletin released on Wednesday, disclosed that the commission monitored the primary elections of 59 political parties in Kogi State and 64 in Bayelsa State.

It said most of the primaries were through affirmation, except the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where more than one aspirant contested.

However, four female governorship candidates emerged in Kogi State while eight emerged in Bayelsa State.

Among female candidates cleared are, Barrister Justina Falapi Abanda of the African Democratic Congress (ADC)  and Faustina Ochia of the Young Democrat Party (YDP) in Kogi state.

Others are Seiyefa  Eches of the Democratic Peoples Congress, Mrs. Blessing Clement of the Mega Party of Nigeria, Lucy Akpoyebi Bridigi of the Peoples Party of Nigeria, Charity Kens Godwin of the Rebuild Nigeria Party and Deborah Ogbomo of the Social Democratic Party all from  Bayelsa state

Apart from the PDP and APC that are major parties, other parties contesting in Kogi state are the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Labour Party, Masses Movement of Nigeria of Nigeria (MMN) and Social Democratic Party (SDP).

And in Bayelsa State are, Advanced Congress of Democratic (ACD), Democratic Peoples Congress (DPC), Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), Mega Party of Nigeria (MPN), Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN), Rebuild Nigeria Party (RNP), SDP and Young Democratic Party (YDP).