The waiting game ends today.
By its own statements in recent time, and in compliance with the Time Table and Schedule of Activities for the elections released by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last February, the final list of candidates for next year’s presidential and National Assembly polls will be published today.
The list will confirm how many political parties will contest the national elections fixed for 25th February 2023.
The state elections – governorship and assembly – is fixed for 11 March 2023, and the final list of candidates is to be published by INEC in a fortnight.
The challenge to the candidacy of Aiswaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and that of Mr Peter Obi for the Labour Party (LP) by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was dismissed by a Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday.
PDP had prayed the court to compel INEC to prevent Tinubu and Obi from replacing their running mates with Senator Kashim Shettima and Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed respectively. It asked the court to disqualify Tinubu and Obi unless they contest alongside their previous running mates – Alhaji Kabiru Masari and Dr Doyin Okupe – averring that the Electoral Act 2022 did not make provision for a “place holder” or temporary running mate.
But Justice Donatus Okorowo held that the court lacked jurisdiction to preside over the suit, while the case lacked merit, describing it is an “abuse of court process”.
On Sunday, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) reportedly dismissed its presidential candidate, Mr Dumebi Kachikwu and seven other for alleged “anti-party” activities. But another group within the party countered the state and reaffirm Kachikwu as ADC presidential candidate.
