Providing transparency for the upcoming Edo State governorship election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced its plans to disclose the personal information of the candidates on Saturday.
In a statement released by Sam Olumekun, the INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, it was revealed that the decision to publish these details came after the completion of party primaries.
Encouraging Nigerians to carefully review the documents, the commission emphasized that any candidate suspected of providing false information during the primaries could face legal challenges under Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022.
The Edo State governorship election is slated to take place on Saturday, 21st September 2024, according to news reports.
Olumekun announced, “The personal information of the governorship candidates and their running mates will be released on Saturday, 30th March 2024, which is a week after the deadline for nomination submissions as indicated in Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act 2022.”
Furthermore, he stated, “The Commission will make these personal details public by exhibiting copies of Form EC9, including academic qualifications and other pertinent documents submitted by each candidate at the State Headquarters and all 18 Local Government offices across Edo State.”
The commission also revealed that 17 political parties have successfully submitted their candidates’ nomination forms for the Edo State Governorship Election by the stipulated deadline of 6.00pm on 24th March 2024, when the dedicated portal ceased operations.