INEC returns Odii name as guber candidate

Mr. Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii has returned as a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate for the March 11, 2023 general election in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal.

This came after the commission struck down on December 22, 2022 Odii and his deputy candidate alongside the National Assembly candidates, with the exception of Ezza North/Ishielu federal constituency candidate Mr. Emmanuel Nwite, whose name appeared via court order .

But the INEC also named Mr Irem Ibom Oka, a former member of the House of Rep, as the PDP party’s candidate for the Afikpo North/South federal constituency in the Third Amendment. The name of the seat’s current occupant, Mr. Iduma Igariwey, was listed as the party’s candidate in the original list released on September 20, 2022.

Tribune gathered that Irem Ibom, a founding member of PDP and former member of the House of Representatives, and Tony Ekoh were claiming the LP House of Representatives ticket for this year’s general election. Last week, the court ruled in favor of Tony Ekoh.

The statement read: “The Commission has released the final list of candidates for presidential, senator and House of Representatives elections on September 20, 2022 and elections for governor and state House of Representatives on October 4,” 2022 under the provisions of Article 32 of the Electoral Law of 2022. and the timetable and program of activities for the 2023 general election.

“Following said publication, the Commission received orders from the court regarding the nomination of candidates for governor, senate, house of representatives and state house elections”

“It is worth noting that the list of candidates has been amended in Amendments Nos 1 and 2, published on the Commission’s website on 10 November and 22 December 2022, under Court Orders and Deaths.

“Under the provision of Section 287 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Commission is required to enforce the orders of the Court of Appeal regarding the nomination of candidates by political parties in the constituencies concerned”.

“While the Commission has been publishing candidate data submitted by political parties on the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal (ICNP), some political parties have forwarded complaints seeking to correct an error in their candidate data.”

“As a result of the above, the lists of candidates relating to affiliated senatorial districts and federal electoral districts, elections for governor and the State House of Assembly are amended and published as Amendment No. 3 under the orders of the Court delivered to the Senate on January 30. Commission have been served. 2023, Deaths and requests for correction of candidates’ data by political parties,” the statement said.