Rerun polls: Anxiety as INEC disqualifies candidates

-The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disqualified fresh candidates from participating in the forthcoming rerun election

-The commission has announced the date for the election across Nigeria

-It says only candidates who participated in the March 28, 2015 National Assembly and presidential election will participate in the election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disqualified fresh candidates from participating in the forthcoming Senatorial and House of Representatives rerun election in Nigeria.

The commission in a statement issued by its secretary, Augusta Ogakwu, on Tuesday, February 2, had fixed February 13 and March 19 for the polls.

INEC secretary, Augusta Ogakwu.

The commission specifically made it clear that only the same candidates and political parties that participated in the March 28, 2015 National Assembly and presidential election will take part in the rerun, adding that the Senate election in Abia north will be held in 43 polling booths.

In Abia, the commission disqualified the candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), David Ogba Onuoha. It cleared the candidate of Progressive Peoples  Alliance (PPA), Orji Uzor Kalu and that of other parties .

In Anambra, the commission disqualified candidates of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and  All Progressives Congress (APC), Sharon Ikeazor adding that the APC could only participate in the election if its candidate, Chris Nigige who contested during the March 28, 2015 poll would resign his current appointment as minister of labour and employment and vie again.

Similarly, INEC disqualified APC candidates in the Kogi east and central senatorial districts. It, however, gave green light to other parties that participated in the first election to contest in the new exercise. 

In Rivers State where the three senatorial seats were cancelled by courts, the commission cleared all the candidates that contested the cancelled election. It equally cleared all the candidates for the House of Representatives seats in the state.

Giving reasons for barring some candidates, the commission explained  that since it is not a general election, it is against the electoral act for fresh candidates to contest in the rerun, emphasizing that the same candidates and the political parties that contested the first elections should take part.

According to the notice; “Following consultations with major stakeholders in the electoral process and the public interest in the subject, INEC at its meeting on Monday considered and approved dates for the conduct of elections as ordered by the Court of Appeal.

“Consequent upon the judgments  of the court, the commission will conduct the elections in 69 of the constituencies with the same political parties and their candidates who participated in the annulled elections in Gombe, Adamawa, Kaduna, Plateau, Niger, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Taraba, Imo, Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Akwa-Ibom, Cross River, and Rivers.”

“The commission further gives notice that the political parties and candidates entitled to participate in the elections in the other 11 constituencies are contained in detailed lists of elections.”

The public notice further specified that while senatorial elections will take place in five states, like Abia, Imo, Akwa-Ibom, Benue and Rivers, House of Representatives and state Assembly polls will complete the rest reruns.

Giving more breakdown of the elections, INEC disclosed that in Rivers  State, six state constituency elections will hold in 124 polling units, three senatorial seats and 12 federal constituencies will be contested in all the whole constituencies, adding that about 18 state assembly seats will be contested.