30th March, 2024
By Jethro Ibileke
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has appealed to Nigerians to subject particulars submitted by candidates of the 17 political parties participating in the 21 September governorship election in Edo State to scrutiny.
INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, made the appeal in a letter dated Wednesday 27 March 2024, wherein he informed the Edo INEC to display the particulars.
He urged members of the public to scrutinize the particulars for possible falsification by the various candidates.
The letter read: “Following the conclusion of party primaries, seventeen (17) Political Parties have uploaded their candidates’ nomination forms for the Edo State Governorship Election by the deadline of 6.00pm on 24th March 2024 when the dedicated portal automatically shut down.
“The personal particulars of the Governorship candidates and their running mates will be published on Saturday 30th March 2024, a week from the last date for the submission of nominations as provided in Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act 2022.
“The commission shall publish the personal particulars by displaying copies of Form EC9 along with all academic credentials and other documents submitted by each candidate at the State headquarters and the 18 local government offices across Edo
State.
“We appeal to Nigerians to scrutinise the documents. Any aspirant who participated in his/her party primaries with reasonable grounds to believe that the information provided by the candidate is false can challenge the nomination in a Federal High Court as provided in Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022.
Meanwhile, INEC in Edo state under the leadership of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Anugbum Onuoha, has displayed the list of candidates of the 17 participating political parties.
The particulars were displayed at the INEC office in Aduwawa in Benin, and at all 18 local government offices in the state.
The state INEC head of voters education and publicity, Timidi Wariowei, said that the pasting of the particulars is in line with the electoral law, noting that parties, public can now view the particulars of the candidates and their running mate.
According to him, “In Compliance to the law, today, being the 30th of March, 2024, the INEC Edo State Office and the I8 local government area offices have pasted form EC9 which is personal particulars of the 17 candidates and their deputies. The form also includes the credentials of the candidates.
“We have done this in line with the electoral law and the public and parties can go to all the local government offices to check the list,” he added.