“INEC has denied the release of the final list of candidates for presidential and national assembly elections.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission has denied the release of the final list of candidates for presidential and national assembly elections.
INEC statement signed by Festus Okoye, the National Commissioner & Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee was released to newsmen on Monday.
The Commission was reacting to a lead story in a national daily which claimed that the final list of candidates was released on its website on Sunday, 8th, January 2023.
Okoye in his refutal recalled that “the final list for presidential and national assembly elections was published on 20th September 2022 while that of Governorship and State Assembly elections was published two weeks later on 4th October 2022.”
It advised the public to disregard the newspaper publication.
Okoye’s statement read in part:” The attention of the commission has been drawn to reports widely circulated by a section of the media today, Monday 9th January 2023, that the final list of candidates was released on our website on Sunday 8th January 2023.
“The commission wishes to state categorically that no new publication of the final list
of candidates was released as reported. The public should therefore discountenance
the story.
For the record, the final list of candidates for the 2023 general election was published
at least 150 days before the day of the election in compliance with the provision of Sec.32(1) of the Electoral Act 2022.
Accordingly, the final list for presidential and national assembly elections was published on 20th September 2022 while that of governorship and state assembly elections was published two weeks later on 4th October 2022.
“These are clearly indicated as item 8 on the timetable and schedule of
Activities for the 2023 General Election released by the commission on 26th February
2022.
“There cannot be a final list of candidates with just 46 days to the general election
except for names published as substitutions for candidates nominated earlier in
compliance with the court order. Moreover, some of the candidates that allegedly made
the new “final” list are still in court and the matter is therefore subjudice.
Political parties, litigants and the public should be guided accordingly.”
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