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•16 parties jostle for Sanwo-Olu’s seat in Lagos

•APC omitted in Enugu as INEC clears Mbah, others

By Clifford Ndujihe, Samuel Oyadongha, Emem Idio, Rotimi Ojomoyela, James Ogunnaike, Olayinka Ajayi & Steve Oko

THE 2023 battle for state government houses and legislature got keener, weekend, following the publication of candidates’ lists by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Next year, governorship elections will take place in 28 of the country’s 36 states as eight states- Anambra, Imo, Edo, Bayelsa, Ekiti, Osun, Kogi and Ondo have held off-cycle governorship polls.

15 candidates lock horns with Sanwo-Olu in Lagos

In Lagos, the INEC cleared 16 of the 18 political parties to contest for the governorship seat, in which Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is seeking re-election.

According to the list of candidates published by the electoral commission, those going for the governorship include the  ruling APC, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; PDP Mr. Olajide Abdulazeez Adeniran; Accord, Mr. Dickson Olaogun; AA, Mr. Balogun Abdurazaq; and African Action Congress, AAC, Mr. Olayiwola Olajide.

The rest are African Democratic Congress, ADC, Mr. Doherty Adesina; African Democratic Party, ADP, Mr. Bamidele Ishola; Allied Peoples Movement, APM, Kupoliyi Funmilayo; Labour Party, LP, Mr. Awamaridi Ifagbemi; NNPP, Mr. Jim-Kamal Olarewaju; National Rescue Movement, NRM, Mr. Braithwaite Akinwunmi; SDP, Mr. Uthman Olakunle; Young Progressive Party, YPP, Mr. Ajayi Adebayo.

Also listed are Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, Mr. Adenipe Adekunle; Action Peoples Party, APP, Adeyimi Abiola; and Boot Party, BP, Mr. Oluwo Olawale

No fewer than 396 candidates drawn from 16 political parties would also be contesting for the 40 seats in the Lagos State House of Assembly.

However, only APC, PDP, Labour Party, NNPP, and ADP fielded candidates for all the 40 seats in the state parliament.

Political parties that fielded candidates in at least 10 of the 40 state constituencies for the house of assembly election were: AA (38) , AAC (20), ADC (37), BP (34), and SDP (36).

The APP and NRM fielded candidates in nine state constituencies each while YPP, PRP, Accord and APM fielded candidates in five, four, three and one state constituencies respectively.

Meanwhile, Action Alliance (AA), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and People’s Redemption Party (PRP) did not have governorship candidates in the publication.

Similarly, APGA and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) did not have State assembly candidates.

Emenike, Onuoha, Ikonne, others lock horns in Abia

Candidates shortlisted by INEC for the 2023 Governorship poll in Abia include:  Ikechi Emenike, APC; Bishop Sunday Onuoha, ADC; Professor Greg Ibe, APGA; Professor Uche Ikonne, PDP;  Enyinnaya Nwafor, YPP; Dr. Alex Otti,Labour Party; and Mascot Uzor Kalu, APP

APC omitted in Enugu as INEC clears Mbah, others

In Enugu State, the APC had no candidate for the governorship poll. Those cleared for the governorship election include: PDP- Peter Mbah; APGA- Nweke Frank Nnaemeka; Labour- Agbo Casmir Uchenna; AA-Ogbe Chukwunonso Daniel; and PRP- Agu C

310 candidates jostle for 24 assembly seats in Bayelsa

No fewer than 310 candidates from 16 political parties are expected to be on the ballot for the 24 House of Assembly seats in Bayelsa, next year, going by the INEC lists.

According to the list pasted at the INEC State Headquarters in Yenagoa, six of the parties, PDP, APC, SDP, NNPP, LP, and ADC fielded candidates in all the state

The other parties which fielded candidates but not in all the constituencies are AA, Accord, APGA, AAC, PRP, NRM, APP, ADP, YPP, APM, and Zenith Labour Party, ZLP.

When contacted, the Head of Voter Education and Publicity, INEC, Bayelsa State, Mr. Wilfred Ifoga told  Vanguard that the lists have also been pasted in all the local government council offices of INEC.

This, Vanguard learned, is in line with section 29(3) of the Electoral Act 2022 and schedule of activities of the commission.

Contacted on the development, the state Chairman of the PDP, Solomon Agwanana said he was yet to see the list and would comment only when he has seen the list.

Abiodun, 12 others make Ogun gov

In Ogun, a total of 13 political parties will vie for the number one seat in the state.

The incumbent Governor, Prince Adedapo Abiodun, who is seeking re-election will fly the flag of the ruling APC.  Other Governorship candidates are Mr. Ladi Adebutu, PDP, Mr.  Anthony Ojesina, SDP, Okusanya Adedeji, PRP; Adelanwa Kayemilola, ADC; Harrison Adeyemi, AAC,  Falana Olufemi; APP; and Sokunbi Kazeem, ADP.

12 parties field candidates for assembly slots in Ekiti

In Ekiti, no fewer than 126 candidates drawn from 12 political parties will battle for the 26 House of Assembly seats.

The 12 political parties spoiling for action in the February 2023 elections are AAC, ADP, NNPP, PRP, AA, ADC, PDP, APC, LP, SDP, NRM, and ZLP.