INEC closes submission of nomination forms for governorship, State Houses of Assembly elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday said it would not extend the deadline for the submission of nomination forms by political parties of their candidates for the governorship and State House of Assembly elections.

The Director of Voter Education and Publicity (VEP), Oluwole-Osaze Uzzi, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said that the submission deadline stipulated remained Friday night.

“The Commission time table for the general elections was issued and nothing has changed. The deadline for submission of forms for governorship and State House of Assembly election remains Nov. 2,” Uzzi said.

NAN correspondent who visited the submission centre at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja, reports that representatives of political parties were seen at different stages of submission of their nominations forms.

The National Chairman of the Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance (APDA), Malam Shittu Mohammed, commended the process of the submission.

“We just submitted our nomination forms. I want to commend INEC for having this organised arrangement, everything is peaceful and organised,” Mohammed said.

He said that APDA would be fielding candidates for governorship and State House of Assembly elections in 17 states.

An INEC staff who did not want his name mentioned said that about 38 political parties including the major political parties had completed the process of submission of their forms.

The staff said that some of the political parties were still at various stages of submission, while some were about to start.

Among the political parties waiting to submit their norms, he said, were the United Progressives Party (UPP), the Green Party and Accord Party.

The UPP in its letter of address to INEC Chairman and signed by the Chairman of the party, Chief Chekwas Okorie, said it would be fielding governorship candidates in 18 States and 179 candidates for State of House Assembly elections.

The Nigeria Community Movement Party (NCMP) National Secretary, Mr Ibrahim Mohammad, who was also at the submission centre, told NAN that the party would be fielding candidates in 10 states for both elections.