In a significant development, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially released the final list and personal particulars of candidates set to contest in the forthcoming bye-elections. This follows the earlier release of the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for bye-elections prompted by the death or resignation of Members of the National and State Houses of Assembly.
Scheduled for Saturday, 3rd February 2024, these elections will take place across nine States of the Federation, encompassing two Senatorial Districts (Ebonyi South and Yobe East), four Federal Constituencies, and three State Constituencies. The affected constituencies include Shanga/Ngaski/Yauri Federal Constituency of Kebbi State, Surulere I Federal Constituency of Lagos State, Akoko North East/Akoko North West Federal Constituency of Ondo State, and Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency of Taraba State, among others.
As stipulated in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities, the personal particulars and final list of candidates have been made public today at INEC State offices and the respective constituencies. This disclosure aligns with the provisions of Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act 2022. To enhance accessibility, the list of candidates is also available on INEC’s official website and social media platforms.
INEC urges Nigerians to meticulously examine the personal particulars, including Form EC9 and academic credentials, of the candidates. Any aspirant who participated in party primaries and harbors reasonable doubts about the accuracy of the provided information can challenge the nomination in a Federal High Court, as outlined in Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022.
Importantly, this publication exclusively pertains to the upcoming bye-elections, as they represent fresh elections for which political parties conducted primaries and nominated their candidates.
In a related note, for re-run elections scheduled for the same day, the list and personal particulars of candidates had been published before the 2023 General Election. These re-run elections, mandated by the orders of the Election Petition Appeal Tribunals, differ from fresh elections in that they are not open to new or disqualified candidates, eliminating the need for re-publication of their personal particulars.
