Bankole, three House officers make INEC’s list

The Independent National Electoral Commission on Monday released the list of candidates that would contest the House of Representatives election on April 2. According to the list on the INEC website, www.inecnigeria.org, incumbent members of the House, who made the list included the Speaker, Mr. Dimeji Bankole. Other principal officers on the list included the Chief Whip, Emeka Ihedioha , who is the Peoples Democratic Party for Aboh Mbaise Ngor/Okpala Federal Constituency Imo State; the Minority Leader, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila of Action Congress of Nigeria, and Majority Leader, Mr. Tunde Akogun, (PDP Akoko Edo). One of the major highlights of the list is the appearance of members of a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State loyal to Governor Gbenga Daniel as candidates of Peoples Party of Nigeria. Besides, a candidate, Mr. Oladipupo Adebutu, featured as a candidate of the PDP and the PPN in two different constituencies in Ogun State. While Adebutu is a PPN candidate for the election in Ijebu-Ode/Odogbolu/Ijebu North-East Federal Constituency, he is also a PDP candidate for the Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North seat. But curiously, the Chairman, House Committee on Communications, Mr. Dave Salako, who was elected by former President Olusegun Obasanjo group to contest the Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North seat and had his name published by INEC, was missing on the list. However, Salako is seeking court’s adjudication on the matter. Also, in Abeokuta North/Odeda/Obafemi/Owode, a member of the House, Mr. Kayode Amusan, made the list, while Mr. Abiodun Oni, who was elected by the Obasanjo group, was missing. The Daniel loyalists had defected to the PPN, after the list of their faction was rejected by INEC, which acted on the orders of a Federal High Court, Abuja. The two PDP factions in the state had held parallel primaries. While INEC rejected Daniel’s group’s list, it accepted candidates produced by Obasanjo’s group. By Niyi Odebode, Abuja