INEC receives 79 nominations for presidential poll

The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) on Friday
said it received nominations from 79 political parties for the 2019
presidential election and 6,352 for the National Assembly.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu disclosed this while
addressing newsmen in Abuja on update on the implementation of
activities for the 2019 general elections.

The breakdown of the nominations for NASS according to Yakubu,
is 1,856 nominations for the 109 Senate seats, and 4,496
nominations for the House of Representatives with 360 seats.

Answering questions on the Supreme Court judgment on the All
Progressives Congress (APC) Rivers State chapter primaries, Yakubu
said that INEC was still awaiting the full text of the judgment to
determine its next action.

Also asked of update on INEC decision that APC Zamfara could not
file in candidates for NASS elections, Yakubu said that the matter
was still in three High Courts.

“However, INEC did not receive any submission from APC Zamfara
state. I will not say more than that because the matter is still in
court.’’

He said that three out of the outlined activities toward the
2019 general elections had been implemented starting with the
publication of official notice for the elections.

These, according to him, include submission of list and personal
particulars of candidates that emerged from party’s primaries for
Presidential and National Assembly elections from Oct. 10 to Oct.
18.

Yakubu urged the general public to use the opportunity of the
publication of the forms and particulars of the political parties’
nominated candidates at its offices across the nation, to raise
their claims and objections.

He said that the publication was for citizens to ascertain the
personal details of the candidates to enable them to take informed
decisions on election day.

“Any person with reasonable ground to believe that any
information on Form CF001 submitted by a candidate contains
incorrect or false claims is at liberty to file an action against
such candidate.

“This can be filed at the Federal High Court or the High Court
of a state or the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“The current exercise is limited to candidates for Presidential
and National Assembly elections.

“That of personal particulars of those contesting in
Governorship and State Assembly elections will be similarly
published on Nov. 9, one week after the close of submission of
nominations by political parties.’’

Yakubu also disclosed that the register of voters for each
polling unit would be displayed at the units nationwide for one
week from Nov.6 to Nov. 12 for claims and objections.

He said that the Commission had cleaned up the register, using
the Automatic Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS).

He added that citizens were allowed to examine the register and
exercise their civic duty by drawing the attention of INEC to the
prevalence of any ineligible persons to further clean it up.

“The Commission will also appreciate the assistance of citizens
in identifying deceased persons on the register so that such names
can be annulled from our record.

“It is also an opportunity to correct misspellings of personal
details such as names, age and gender.’’

Yakubu also disclosed that INEC recently received declaration of
vacancies to conduct by-elections, following the election of two
serving members of the House of Representatives as Senators in the
by-elections conducted on Aug. 11.

“The Speaker has declared consequential vacancies in the Toro
Federal Constituency in Bauchi State and the Kankia/Kusada/Ingawa
Federal Constituency in Katsina State.

“Similarly, the Cross River State House of Assembly has declared
vacancy in Ikom II State Constituency following the death of the
member representing the Constituency. Consequently, the Commission
will conduct by-elections in the three (3) constituencies.

“We have directed our Resident Electoral Commissioners in
Bauchi, Katsina and Cross River State to convene stakeholders’
meetings immediately and prepare for the by-elections latest by
Saturday Nov. 17.

“Detailed timetable and schedule of activities for the
by-elections will be released on Tuesday next week.’’

Yakubu assured Nigerians that preparations for the 2019 General
Elections were proceeding in earnest and according to the detailed
timetable and schedule of activities released by the
commission.

“It is exactly 112 days to the elections. We shall continue to
faithfully and consistently implement the timetable and all
activities.’’