INEC finalises List of Candidates for 2019 General Elections

As the period for the withdrawal/replacement of Candidates for the 2019 elections comes to a close, INEC is set to publish a final list of Candidates, who will contest the elections. Under the Electoral Act, the date for INEC’s publication of the final list of Candidates for the position of President and National Assembly members, whose elections hold on February 16, 2019 is January 17, 2019 while the date for the publication of the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Candidates, whose elections hold on March 2, 2019 is January 31, 2019. Under section 35 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), the window for Candidates withdrawing or stepping aside for others closed on November 17, 2018 (Presidential and National Assembly elections) and December 1, 2018 (Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections). The publication for the final list will help INEC define the content and numbers of parties on the ballot papers to be printed by INEC. It will also help INEC and other stakeholders who are working on civic education and awareness to be better able to carry this out.

At this time, INEC has released the figures of persons who have been submitted to it by political parties as their Candidates for the election. INEC will scrutinise this and publish a final list in accordance with the Electoral Act. Below is a table of the Candidates’ nominations made by political parties.