Politics

INEC Gov List: Litigation Kicks 14 APC, PDP, LP Candidates Out

Published

3 years ago

October 6, 2022

Editor

The Independent National Electoral Commission has released the final list of candidates that will contest the governorship and houses of assembly election in 28 states of the federation in the 2023 elections.

In a statement signed on Wednesday by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, the list contained 18 political parties that fielded 837 candidates and their running mates for the 28 governorship elections.

Also, the statement indicated that 10,231 candidates would vie for 993 seats in the state assembly elections.

The list also included the names of the running mates to the governorship candidates from the 18 political parties billed to participate in the poll.

Findings by The PUNCH indicate that no fewer than 14 candidates in 12 states have been knocked off the INEC list on account of the litigation and controversies that dogged the parties’ primary elections.

This is against the backdrop of ongoing litigations in Ebonyi, Akwa-Ibom, Enugu, Rivers, Ogun and four other states.

According to the elections timetable for the 2023 general elections, the governorship and state houses of assembly elections will take place on March 11, 2023.

But the poll will not be held in Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Ondo and Osun states which are no longer part of the general elections circle.

Those cleared for the governorship race include; Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State; Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun; Ovie Omo-Agege of Delta State and 833 others.

In Delta, Omo-Agege of APC would be competing with the state House of Assembly Speaker, Sheriff Oborevwori of the Peoples Democratic Party; Great Ogboru of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, and Kenneth Gbagi of the Social Democratic Party.

Also cleared for the governorship are former Minister of State for Education; Agbi Goodnews Goodman of NNPP; Ogba Emmanuel Samuel of ADP; Ekure Efeoghene Shedrack of ADC; Gwede Jerkins Giane of AA; and America Emmanuel of NRM.

Checks showed that the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party will not field governorship candidates in Akwa Ibom and Ogun states respectively.

In addition, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Booth Party, Labour Party, Young Peoples Party and Zenith Labour Party will also not contest in Ogun State as they have no candidates.

The APC candidate in Akwa Ibom State, Akanimo Udofia, was missing from the list following the crisis in the state chapter of the party and the refusal of INEC to monitor the primary which produced him. It, therefore, rejected his candidacy in line with the Electoral Act 2022.

At least four suits had been filed against the Ogun State governorship candidate of the PDP, Ladi Adebutu.

Two of the suits were filed by former aspirants – Segun Showunmi and Jimi Lawal, while three PDP members – Taiwo Olabode Idris, Kehinde Akala and Alhaji Ayinde Monsuru, also filed another suit challenging the delegates’ list used in the conduct of the party primaries.

Last Tuesday, a Federal High court sitting in Abeokuta, nullified all the primaries conducted by the PDP in the state.

The court also barred INEC from recognising Adebutu as the governorship candidate of the party in the state. Reports said Adebutu had filed an appeal against the Federal Court judgment.

In Gombe State, the Peoples Redemption, Young People’s Party, and All Progressives Grand Alliance had no governorship candidates as the space for them was blank.

In Jigawa, the African Action Congress, Allied Peoples Movement, Action Peoples Party and the Zenith Labour Party had no candidates.

Similarly in Kaduna State, the AAC, Booth Party and ZLP will not field governorship candidates while the AAC, APP, APM and APGA would also not participate in the governorship poll.

Further checks also confirmed that the AAC, APP, APM, YPP and APGA have no governorship candidates in Katsina.

Also, the AAC, APGA and New Nigeria Peoples Party will not contest in the Kebbi governorship election.

According to the INEC list, APGA, BP and NRM will not feature in Kwara State.

The ZLP will not contest in the Oyo governorship poll while the PRP does not have a candidate in Rivers State.

Only the Accord Party has no governorship candidate in Sokoto; however, the party will also be missing on the ballot in Yobe alongside AAC, APGA, BP, NRM, PRP and ZLP.

Abia State has 18 governorship candidates cleared by the Commission. They include Ikechi Emenike of APC; Eleazar Ikonne of PDP; Alex Otti of LP; Enyinnaya Nwafor of YPP, Bishop Onuoha of ADC, and Greg Ibe of APGA.

No fewer than 16 parties are contesting the governorship election in Lagos. Besides Governor Sanwo-Olu of the APC, others are Abdulazeez Adediran of the PDP; and Funso Doherty of the African Democratic Congress.

Other parties contesting for the governorship of the state include Accord Party with Dickson Olaogun as a candidate; Balogun Abdulrazaq, AA; Layiwola Olajide, AAC; Bamidele Ishola, ADP; Kupoliyi Funmilayo, APM; Adeyemi Roseline, APP; Oluwo Wasiu. BP; Jim-Kamal Olalekan, NNPP; Braithwaite Ishola, NRM and others.

In Kaduna State, the APC, PDP, and NNPP governorship candidates; Uba Sani, Isa Ashiru, and Suleiman Hunkuyi made the list.

However, the candidate of LP, Jonathan Asake, was missing as Alhaji UmaruIbrahim was recognised as the party’s governorship candidate.

In Kano, Shaaban Sharada made the list for ADP; Aishatu Mahmud for NRM, Nasiru Gawuna for APC, and Abba Yusuf for NNPP.

In Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifuru, Speaker of the Ebonyi House of Assembly and APC candidate and Bernard Odoh, a former Secretary to State Government of APGA made the list.

Also, Ifeanyichukwuma Odii of PDP, Edward Nkwegu of LP, Chukwuma Nwandugo of AA, Sunday Opoke of YPP and Anthony Usulor of NRM were among those that made the governorship list, as well.

In Ogun, some of the candidates listed by INEC include Governor Dapo Abiodun of the APC; Biyi Otegbeye, ADC; Ojeshina Olawunmi for SDP; Ogunronbi Oludayo for NRM; and Oguntoyinbo Femi Ajadi for NNPP.

In Plateau, Goshwe Yilwatda of APC, Abashe Nwakpak of APGA, Dakum Sunday of LP, Abdullahi Ango of NNPP, Mutfwang Manasseh of PDP; Binchak Pony of SDP; and Gontori Butdangman of YPP were among candidates cleared for the governorship race.

In Rivers State, INEC cleared 16 governorship candidates. Among those cleared are Similanayi Fubara of PDP, Tonye Cole of APC, Magnus Abe of SDP, Dumo Lulu-Briggs of Accord Party and Dr Dawari George of African Alliance.

Senator Magnus Abe of the Social Democratic Party and Dr. Dawaro George of the Action Alliance, both of whom are former aspirants of the All Progressives Congress for the 2023 governorship election in the state, made the list.

Abe and George secured the ticket of the SDP and AA respectively through substitution primaries.

Meanwhile, the duo are still facing litigation from aggrieved party members who are faulting their emergence.

Also intact on the INEC list are top contenders and governorship candidates of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, Siminialaye Fubara, and his counterpart in the All Progressives Congress, Tonye Cole, and Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs of the Accord Party.

Meanwhile, in Enugu State, 17 parties will contest in the 2023 governorship poll in the state.

Notable among the parties and their candidates is the governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Chijioke Edeoga. This may have put to rest the confusion over the authentic candidate of the party in the state, following Capt Evarest Nnaji’s insistence that he is the candidate of the party.

Edeoga however has some hurdles to cross, as the Federal High Court in Abuja has continued the hearing on the case instituted by Nnaji challenging his exclusion from the repeat primary election that produced Edeoga as the candidate.

In the list Edeoga’s name appeared as number 19, with his running mate, Dr. John Nwokeabia.

Speaking on the list, Okoye in the statement said, ‘’The publication of the full names of candidates standing nominated for state elections follows the political parties’ conduct of primaries and completion of the nomination exercise.

’’It will be recalled that at the end of the process, political parties that conducted valid primaries uploaded the list and personal particulars of all nominated candidates to the Commission’s candidate nomination portal and the subsequent display in their constituencies nationwide as provided by Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act.’

“Subsequently, validly nominated candidates had the opportunity to voluntarily withdraw their candidature by notice in writing and personally delivered such notice to the political party that nominated them for the election. Thereafter, political parties substituted such candidates under section 31 of the Electoral Act for which the last day was 12th August 2022 for State Elections as clearly provided in item 6 of the Commission’s Timetable and Schedule of Activities.

“Thereafter, no withdrawal or substitution of candidates is allowed except in the event of death as provided in section 34(1) of the Electoral Act or under an order of a Court of competent jurisdiction.’’

The National Publicity Chairman of the Labour Party, Abayomi Arabambi, explained that six of the party’s candidates in Ogun, Bayelsa and four other states were affected as a result of a glitch on the INEC portal.

“It was because the INEC portal crashed. The volume of the information and images on the site was too enormous. People are supposed to do physical submissions instead of the forms they are passing to parties to fill, which is not even in the Electoral Act. This was even the reason we went to court in the first place,” he said.

He, however, expressed confidence that INEC would soon upload their names and profiles.

The APC National Publicity, Felix Morka could not be reached for comment on the absence of the party’s governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom State.

Commenting, the PDP Legal Adviser, Kamaludeen Ajibade SN, observed that INEC would not list a candidate where there is litigation, adding that the party has appealed the judgment concerning its party in Ogun State.

Meanwhile, commenting on the litigation over the party primaries in some states, Chief Mike Ozekhome SAN, said, “I don’t think court intervention will in any way truncate the fielding of candidates for the next election by political parties.

“We have seen this again and again. We have passed this route before. It’s a well beaten path. It is not a new route that is being taken. That is why, I said we are not practicing democracy. We are practicing electionocracy.

“Now, why I said this may not be of much worry is that under the Constitution there is up 180 days to commence and finish all election petition-related matters.”
PUNCH

Politics

Marafa’s Loyalists Quit APC, Cite Neglect Of Zamfara

Published

18 hours ago

August 29, 2025

Editor

Supporters of former Zamfara Central Senator, Kabiru Marafa, have announced their resignation from the All Progressives Congress, citing what they described as injustice, marginalisation and deliberate neglect of the state by the ruling party and President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The group, operating under the aegis of the Senator Kabiru Marafa Consultative Forum, met in Kaduna on Wednesday and Thursday, August 27 and 28, 2025, to deliberate on the worsening political, security and developmental situation in the state.

At the end of the meeting, the forum issued a communique signed by its chairman, Bashir Mafara, secretary Mannir Tsafe, and seven others, formally announcing their exit from the APC.

The communique partly read, “After broad consultations and critical review of the prevailing circumstances, the political structure of Distinguished Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa OFR, CON across the 147 wards in Zamfara State unanimously resolved as follows:

“The entire structure with all its supporters hereby formally resigns from the All Progressives Congress in protest against the sustained injustice, mistrust, marginalisation, and deliberate neglect of Zamfara State and its people.

“That we shall, in due course, announce our next political direction, guided by the collective interest of the good people of Zamfara State.”

The group expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation in the state, pointing to official data and community reports on rising kidnappings and killings.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, hasn’t been able to address the persistent and senseless kidnappings and killings of innocent citizens in Zamfara State, despite the explicit promises made during the 2023 presidential campaign.

“The situation continues to worsen, leaving communities devastated and hopeless,” they said.

The group claimed that reports indicate that out of the 4,722 people kidnapped over one year in Nigeria in 2024, 1,203 are from Zamfara State, followed by Kaduna State with 629.

It added that the Zamfara Circle Community Initiatives reported that 25 villages suffered attacks in one week after the just concluded by-election, with 145 people kidnapped and 21 killed.

The senator’s loyalists also accused the government of politicising insecurity for electoral gains.

On the alleged marginalisation of Zamfara in political appointments and projects, the communique added, “Despite the fact that Zamfara State was one of only two states in the entire North-West geopolitical zone that delivered victory to President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election spearheaded by Distinguished Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa OFR, CON as State Coordinator which the President himself categorically acknowledged during his speech shortly after his declaration as the winner of the 2023 election by INEC, the state has been sidelined in all facets of human developments including protection of lives and properties, infrastructural developments as well as fair representation in political appointments.

“The state was given only a Minister of State, while most states in the Northwest got two slots.

“But more unfair is the allocation given to the Southwest that corners the entire financial sector, with some states getting multiple ministerial slots and countless agencies.

“For example, Lagos state, where President Tinubu lost the election, has enjoyed overwhelming patronage in terms of appointments and developmental projects, underscoring the deliberate marginalisation of Zamfara state, where Mr. President won.”

The forum concluded by accusing the APC leadership of betraying its founding principles of fairness and justice.

“The above actions and omissions negate the fundamental principles of justice, fairness, equity and accountability upon which the APC was founded.

“Conscience demands that genuine progressives must stand for truth and resist injustice, no matter how uncomfortable,” it said.

Politics

Why I’d Choose Tinubu Over Obi – Adeyanju

Published

18 hours ago

August 29, 2025

Editor

Human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, has explained why he would prefer President Bola Tinubu to Peter Obi if both men were to contest against each other in the 2027 elections.

Adeyanju, who spoke during an interview on Channels Television on Friday, said his position was not out of loyalty to the ruling All Progressives Congress, but a reflection of his personal convictions about democracy, tolerance, and political conduct.

“Why would somebody like me support the APC? Support the APC for what? If the opposition presents Peter Obi, I will vote Tinubu.

“This is because we cannot have a situation where, a man whose supporters cannot tolerate criticism, call people all sorts of names.

“Anybody who does not support their candidate is an enemy of Nigeria. Anybody that does not support the candidate has been paid, has been compromised in supporting the government.”

The activist rejected claims that he was working with the APC to weaken the opposition, insisting that his political interventions had always been consistent and independent.

He recalled that in previous elections he had voted for different candidates across party lines, based on what he described as his personal judgment of their suitability.

“I have never voted for a bad candidate in my view. In 1999, I voted for Obasanjo. In 2011, I voted for Goodluck Jonathan. In 2015, I voted for Jonathan again because I couldn’t support Buhari, and in 2023, I voted for Omoyele Sowore,” Adeyanju said.

According to him, his decision to oppose Obi stems largely from his experience with the behaviour of some of Obi’s supporters during the last election.

He alleged that many of them resorted to online attacks and intimidation of those with dissenting views.

“What we are saying is that we must sanitise our polity, that we cannot have a country where people who terrorise others who do not appreciate that people have their rights.

“Look at what they did to Joke Silva during the election. They had artists and Nollywood people supporting them. Nobody terrorised those people.

“But they terrorised that woman, and other people, because she decided to support Tinubu in the last election. People have the right, I have the right.”

Adeyanju stressed that opposition politics in Nigeria could only succeed if there was unity among the major players, warning that a divided front would always favour the APC.

He recalled that he initially found Obi’s candidacy “exciting,” particularly as it represented a chance for the South-East to aspire to the presidency. However, he said his enthusiasm waned as the campaign progressed.

“The idea of Obi’s candidacy excited me because the South-East has not produced a president since independence,” he said.

Adeyanju noted however, that he couldn’t reconcile with some of the things he observed in the movement.

He further argued that his activism over the years had been about defending democracy and free expression, even at personal cost. He noted that he had faced multiple arrests in the past under different administrations because of his advocacy.

“We have put our lives on the line for this country, for the preservation of democracy, at personal expense of prosecution. What kind of charges have we not faced in this country? At the time, I was almost charged with terrorism. They’ve charged me for all kinds of offences in this country,” he said.

He added that his decision to take a firm stance against Obi should not be mistaken for partisanship, emphasising that he remained committed to issue-based politics.

According to him, he is just expressing his views as a Nigerian. He noted that his opposition to Obi does not mean support for APC.

“Because we cannot have a situation in our country or in our polity where political extremism becomes the order of the day. And Nigerians are living witnesses to the things that eventually happened to the build-up of the last election,” he said.

Politics

Edo PDP Knocks Okpebholo Over ₦2.5b Donation To UBTH

Published

2 days ago

August 27, 2025

Editor

Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the approval of ₦2.5 billion to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital by Governor Monday Okpebholo.

The Governor announced the approval on Tuesday when the new Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Idia Ize-Iyamu, paid a courtesy visit to him in Government House, Benin.

Ize-Iyamu had requested the state government’s assistance in constructing a world-class Paediatric Centre worth N2.5 billion which the governor approved.

However, the PDP, in a statement by its Caretaker Committee Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare said the governor should have invested the money on state-owned hospitals instead of a federal institution.

The statement statement partly reads, “This misadventure is not only reckless but a glaring example of the 2027 election fixation and desperate eye-service politics that has defined Okpebholo’s almost one year in office.

“Edo people are being made to suffer while their resources are squandered on federal facilities that are not the primary responsibility of the state.

“We align with the position of the Association of Resident Doctors under Edo State Government Employment, who have openly decried this misplaced priority. Their statement exposes what Edo people already know, our hospitals are collapsing, yet the Governor prefers to chase cheap popularity.”

The PDP said that Stella Obasanjo Hospital, which was rebuilt with state funds, remained locked with less than a tenth in use, wondering why the ₦2.5 billion was not channelled there.

The statement added, “The Edo Specialist Hospital continues to cry for expansion and adequate support but has been ignored by a government obsessed with pleasing political benefactors and seeking headlines.

“The General Hospital in Abudu is no more than a mere patent medicine store, and yet, ‘₦2.5 billion that belongs to Odogwu is being given to Caesar.”

The PDP also noted that Edo doctors, who only recently suspended their strike, still have their legitimate demands unmet.

“Edo people obviously did not elect a Governor to act as a philanthropist to federal institutions. They elected a leader to fix our hospitals, build capacity, and ensure access to healthcare for all. By neglecting this sacred duty, Okpebholo has shown that he is unprepared, unserious, and out of touch with the realities of Edo citizens.

“We in the PDP demand that this decision be reversed and that urgent attention be given to Edo-owned hospitals which directly serve our people. Edo deserves working hospitals, not political monuments built with eyes on the 2027 elections.

“This is not leadership. This is a reckless waste. And Edo people will not forget,” the statement added.

Efforts to get the government’s response proved futile, as a top official, who pleaded anonymity, said that a response will come on Thursday.