The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Saturday has displayed the list of governorship candidates of the 17 political parties contesting the September 21 governorship election in Edo with the name of the embattled Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu conspicuously missing.
Shaibu who was reported to have emerged the winner of the parallel governorship primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state had stormed the party secretariat in Abuja demanding that the party issue him with certificate of return which was apparently turned down
The INEC office in Edo, led by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Dr Anugbum Onuoha, displayed the governorship candidates list on its notice board and in all INEC offices across the 18 local government areas.
On the list, Mr Uwaifo Osaro is the governorship candidate of Action Alliance (AA); Social Democratic Party (SDP), Aner Abdullai Aliu; New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Azena Azemhe Friday and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Osifo Isiah.
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Others are All People Movement (APM), Ugiagbe Odaro Syvelster; Areleogbe Amos Osalumese, All Peoples Party (APP); Akhime Kingson Afere, Action Democratic Party (ADP); African Action Congress (AAC), Udoh Obersifo David, and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Akhalamhe Amiemenoghena.
The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is Ighodalo Asuerinme; Boot Party (BP) Osirame Edeipo and Accord Party (AP) has Iyere Kennedy as its governorship candidate.
African Democratic Congress (ADC) has Obazele Paul Agbone; Labour Party (LP), Olumide Akpata Anthony; All Progressives Congress (APC), Okpebholo Monday; Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Key patience Ndidi and Young Progressive Party (YPP), Okungbowa Paul Ovbokhan.
Meanwhile, the INEC headquarters said that the commission would publish the personal particulars of all the governorship candidates and their deputies.
This will be done 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.
The commission, in a statement by Mr Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, charged 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,” he said.
He said such legal action was in line with the Electoral Act 2022.
