*Drops Mohammed, Abacha’s son
Fresh anxiety were built up here and there, on Tuesday, when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), cleared 837 governorship, and 10,240 House of Assembly candidates for the March 11, 2023 governorship and state assembly polls.
The lists of the candidates are expected to be pasted on notice boards of the INEC in the 36 states of the country. While some states have pasted the names of the cleared candidates, some were yet to do so as of press time.
In Abia, the battle for the All Progressives Congress (APC), governorship ticket between High Chief Ikechi Emenike and Uche Ogah was settled in favour of Emenike, who was listed.
In Enugu, the confusion over who is the authentic governorship candidate of the Labour Party between Capt Evarest Nnaji and Mr. Chijioke Edeoga was also cleared with the listing of Edeoga.
In Rivers State, amid contentions and litigations, two 2023 former aspirants of the APC, Senator Magnus Abe and former Reps member, Dr Dawari George, who quit to secure governorship tickets under alternative platforms were cleared to run.
For the Kano State Governorship race, the name of LP Candidate, Bashir Ishaq Bashir was missing from the list.
Bashir’s name was substituted with another name, Abdullahi Mohammed Raji.
The list pasted by Kano INEC also put to an end the controversy surrounding identity of the genuine candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the state with Muhammad Abacha’s name missing while Sadiq Wali made the final list.
Among those cleared for the governorship election in Lagos is Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the APC; Abdulazeez Olajide Adediran of the PDP; and Mr Funso Doherty of the African Democratic Congress, ADC.
*Coast finally cleared for Edeoga in Enugu
Although, Mr. Chijioke Edeoga of the LP was listed among the 34 governorship candidates that will contest the 2023 poll, he, however has some hurdles to cross, as the Federal High Court in Abuja will on Wednesday October 5, continue hearing on the matter instituted by Nnaji challenging his exclusion from the repeat primary election that produced Edeoga as candidate.
In the list pasted at the INEC state headquarters in Enugu, on Tuesday evening, Edeoga’s name appeared as candidate for the LP with his running mate, Dr. John Nwokeabia.
Other candidates in the list included the candidate of the PDP, Peter Mbah and running mate, Ifeanyi Ossai; the APC candidate, Uche Nnaji and his running mate Tagbo Ogara, among others.
