INEC gives Atiku, Tinubu, Obi, Kwankwaso, others one week to present running mates
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has directed the presidential and governorship candidates of registered political parties to select and present the lists of their vice presidential candidates in the next eight days.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made this revelation on Thursday in Abuja.
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC); Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), among others have about a week to select who will run alongside them in the coming presidential contest.
“For the next one week from tomorrow, 10th June, all political parties are required to submit their list of candidates for national elections (presidential/vice presidential, senatorial and house of representatives) latest by Friday, 17th June.
“For state elections (governorship/deputy governorship and state houses of assembly), the list of candidates shall be uploaded from 1st to 15th July as already provided in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election already released by the Commission,” Yakubu said.
“Confidential Access Codes to the portal have already been given to each Political Party to facilitate the uploading of its nominations.
“For emphasis, the commission wishes to remind Political Parties that only the names of candidates that emerged from democratic primaries as provided by Sec. 84 of the Electoral Act 2022 shall be submitted to the commission,” he said.
He said, “All nominations must be uploaded to the portal on/or before the deadlines. The portal will automatically shut down at 6.00pm (1800hrs) on Friday, 17th June 2022 for national elections and 6.00pm (1800hrs) on Friday 15th July 2022 for state elections.
“With this innovation, the commission has eliminated the physical interface between party officials and INEC staff for the purpose of submitting the list of candidates for the 2023 general election.”