On Wednesday, September 11, Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), announced that the Commission has followed recent court orders that required changes to the list of candidates for the Edo State governorship election.
Yakubu explained that the running mate for the Labour Party’s candidate has been replaced, and the National Rescue Movement (NRM) has been added to the list of participating parties.
The announcement was made during a meeting at the Victor Uwaifo Creative Hub with various stakeholders, including the Inspector-General of Police, the Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council in Edo State, local political party leaders, candidates, and their running mates. Other attendees included the National Commissioners of INEC, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Edo State, the Commissioner of Police, members of ICCES, traditional and religious leaders, election observers, and media representatives.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss preparations for the upcoming governorship election set for Saturday, September 21, 2024. Yakubu shared that the Commission has completed 11 out of 13 planned activities for the election, with only two tasks remaining.
He reminded the political parties that their campaign period will end at midnight on Thursday, September 19, 2024, just 24 hours before the election.
Yakubu confirmed that the final list of candidates has been published, noting two adjustments: the replacement of the Labour Party’s running mate and the inclusion of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) following a court order.
“By court order, the Commission has replaced the running mate to the candidate of the Labour Party. Similarly, the National Rescue Movement (NRM) which could not file its nomination on schedule has obtained a court order to compel the Commission to include the party on the ballot. We have complied with the court order,” Yakubu stated.
As a result, 18 political parties will participate in the 2024 Edo State governorship election. An updated list of parties and candidates was shared in the information booklet provided at the meeting.
