Edo, Ondo gov’ship: INEC warns parties against fielding ineligible candidates

Ahead of the September 19 and October 10 governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states respectively, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned the registered political parties against fielding ineligible candidates for the elections.

The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who gave the warning on Friday in Abuja at the 2020 first regular meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), urged the parties to avoid rancourous primaries.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Jonson Alalibo Sinikem (Cross River State) and Mr. Umar Mukhtar Gajiram (Taraba State) for the first time after their swearing-in last month.

Yakubu also said that the commission will display the personal particulars, including academic qualifications of all the candidates nominated by the parties for the Edo and Ondo elections.

According to Yakubu, this will afford the citizens the opportunity to scrutinise the particulars of the candidates and take legal actions against those who present false information to the commission.

The INEC boss said this will help to check the new trend of courts determining the outcome of elections as observed in recent times.

Daily Trust reports that the INEC warning was coming on the heels of the February 13 Supreme Court judgement which sacked Bayelsa Governor-elect, David Lyon of APC, on the account that his running mate Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo submitted fake certificates to INEC.

Yakubu said, “Governorship elections in Edo and Ondo are holding later in the year. Given recent experience with some governorship elections, political parties need to do more to avoid the conduct of acrimonious primaries or failure to observe due diligence in the screening of their candidates, resulting in protracted litigation and eventual determination of the outcome of elections by orders of court”