The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced a deadline of May 20, 2024 for political parties to submit their candidate lists for the upcoming Ondo State governorship election.
The directive was issued during a crucial meeting at the INEC headquarters in Abuja convened for chairmen and senior leaders from various political parties.
The INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu emphasised the importance of this deadline in his address to the party representatives.
“I urge all political parties to finalise their candidates and submit their names by the stipulated deadline of May 20th, when our portal will close,” he stated.
The session, marked as the second quarterly meeting of 2024, plays a critical role in the lead-up to the state elections, including the Edo State governorship race scheduled for September.
INEC has already finalised and published the list of candidates and their running mates for the Edo election.
Among notable attendees at the meeting included the National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Ganduje; Julius Abure of the Labour Party (LP), and Shehu Gabam of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Professor Yakubu further stressed the necessity of strict adherence to electoral guidelines, “It is imperative that all participating parties fully comply with the electoral guidelines to ensure a smooth and transparent election process.”
As the deadline approaches, political parties are expected to ramp up their preparations to meet INEC’s requirements, setting the stage for what promises to be a highly contested election.
