The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stated that the list and personal particulars of the candidates submitted by the 17 political parties contesting the Ondo state governorship election will be uploaded on its website and published in our state office in Akure, Ondo state on Friday 31 July 2020.
The 17 political parties, according to INEC, were also among those which “gave the commission the requisite statutory notice of their intention to conduct primaries and they conducted primaries between July 2 and 25, 2020.
With the number of parties that submitted their candidates particulars, only one political party would not participate in the Ondo governorship election.
Accordingly, as stipulated by section 31 (5) & (6) of the Electoral Act, the commission has urged “a person who has reasonable grounds to believe that any information given in the affidavit or any of the documents submitted by any of the candidates is false, may file a suit in court seeking a declaration that such information is false.”
A statement on Tuesday by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education, Barrister Festus Okoye, said, “If the court determines that the information is false, the court shall issue an order disqualifying the candidate from contesting the election.”
The statement also noted that the parties were able to beat the deadline of 6pm of 28 July 2020 for the submission of their nominated candidates for the governorship election. Part of the statement read, “Seventeen out of the 18 registered political parties gave the commission the requisite statutory notice of their intention to conduct primaries and they conducted primaries for the purposes of nominating candidates for the Governorship Election.
The Commission opened its dedicated nomination portal on 21 July 2020 and some of the political parties that conducted their primaries before the 25 July deadline seized the opportunity and uploaded the list and particulars of their nominated candidates ahead of the cut off time of 6pm on 28 July 2020. As at 4.08pm today, 28 July 2020, all the 17 Political Parties had submitted the list and particulars of their nominated candidates using the INEC dedicated portal.
“The list and personal particulars of the candidates as submitted by the 17 political parties will be uploaded on our website and published in our state office in Akure, Ondo state on Friday 31 July 2020.
“This is in compliance with section 31(3) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended). The list will also be published on the Commission’s social media platforms on the same day.
“By section 31 (5) & (6) of the Electoral Act, a person who has reasonable grounds to believe that any information given in the affidavit or any of the documents submitted by any of the candidates is false, may file a suit in Court seeking a declaration that such information is false. If the Court determines that the information is false, the Court shall issue an Order disqualifying the candidate from contesting the election.
“We urge members of the public to take an active part in the vetting of the List and Particulars of nominated candidates to enhance transparency in the party nomination processes.”
