2023: How political parties can substitute guber candidates - INEC

Ahead of the anticipated 2023 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has outlined the conditions for the withdrawal of validly nominated governorship candidates from the 2023 race.

What should be done for change of candidate: The agency said such candidates should write a notice and personally deliver it to the political parties that nominated them.

The Commission disclosed this when the final list of candidates for state elections was released.

Step 1: According to the statement by INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, “validly nominated candidates have the opportunity to voluntarily withdraw their candidature by notice in writing and personally deliver such notice to the political party that nominated them for the election."

Step 2: “Thereafter, political parties will substitute such candidates under Section 31 of the Electoral Act for which the last day was 12th August 2022 for state elections as clearly provided in Item 6 of the Commission’s Timetable and Schedule of Activities. Thereafter, no withdrawal or substitution of candidates is allowed except in the event of death as provided in Section 34(1) of the Electoral Act or pursuant to an order of a court of competent jurisdiction”.

He added: “Pursuant to Section 32(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 and item 8 of the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election, the Commission today 4th October 2022 published the final list of candidates for state elections (governorship and state assembly constituencies).

“The publication of the full names of candidates standing nominated for state elections follows the political parties’ conduct of primaries and completion of the nomination exercise. It will be recalled that at the end of the process, political parties that conducted valid primaries uploaded the list and personal particulars of all nominated candidates to the Commission’s candidate’s nomination portal and the subsequent display in their constituencies nationwide as provided by Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act.

“Subsequently, validly nominated candidates had the opportunity to voluntarily withdraw their candidature by notice in writing and personally delivered such notice to the political party that nominated them for the election. Thereafter, political parties substituted such candidates under section 31 of the Electoral Act for which the last day was 12th August 2022 for State Elections as clearly provided in item 6 of the Commission’s Timetable and Schedule of Activities."

“Thereafter, no withdrawal or substitution of candidates is allowed except in the event of death as provided in section 34(1) of the Electoral Act or pursuant to an order of a Court of competent jurisdiction”.

What this means: Political parties can no longer substitute candidates, as the deadline for that is long past.