The Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), has issued May 20, 2024 as deadline for political parties contesting in the forthcoming Ondo State governorship election, to submit names of their candidates.

The chairman of the commission, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this while hosting chairmen and other leaders of political parties to a meeting at the INEC headquarters in Abuja on Monday.

According to him, parties are expected to finalise and submit the names of their candidates before the 20th of May, when the portal for candidates in the forthcoming Ondo governorship election will close.

The meeting is the second quarterly meeting for the year 2024, happening barely four months before the forthcoming governorship election in Edo State in September. The electoral umpire has already published her final list of candidates and their running mates for the election.

The national chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, the Labour Party, Julius Abure, and of the Social Democratic Party, Shehu Gabam were some of the party chairmen in attendance.

Yakubu also urged the political parties to adhere strictly to all electoral guidelines for the exercise.