Candidates’ list disappears from INEC website

The Independent National Electoral Commission on Tuesday removed the list of candidates for the National Assembly candidates from its website. The move, which took most candidates and would-be voters by surprise, appears to be in response to news reports in THE PUNCH, citing some discrepancies in some of the names on display. Though the list of candidates for elections into the House of Representatives; the Senate and those contesting the governorship elections was on the INEC website www.inecnigeria.org as at 11am on Tuesday. It, however, mysteriously disappeared less than two hours later. THE PUNCH had in its publication of Tuesday, March 22, drew attention of the stakeholders to the salient issues. The issues include the controversial matter of members of Ogun State Governor Gbanga Daniel faction of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State. It also noted that a candidate, Mr. Oladipupo Adebutu, featured as a candidate of the PDP and the Peoples Party of Nigeria in two different constituencies in the state. While Adebutu is the PPN candidate for the election in Ijebu-Ode/Odogbolu/Ijebu North-East Federal Constituency, he is also a PDP candidate for Ikkenne/Sagamu/Remo North seat. The INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, had on Monday, said, “We have handled the nomination process. “Obviously it was very challenging because of the number of court cases and court orders that we received. “But we have been able to navigate that mine field to the best of our ability and as I speak with you, we have finalised the lists for all the candidates. “We have also in fact since proceeded with the printing of the ballot papers and from the reports that we are getting, we feel confident that everything is also on course.” Findings reveal that errors in some entries led to the decision to withdraw the list for further scrutiny. Reacting to the development, the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, said, “The disappearance of the National Assembly list is purely a technical problem that is already being addressed. Nothing more to it.” By John Alechenu, Abuja