41 candidates vying to be Lagos governor

The INEC in Lagos on Friday published details of 41 candidates of various political parties in the state for the 2019 elections jostling to become governor.

According to NAN, 589 candidates of different parties are eying 40 seats in the Lagos state house of assembly.

NAN reports that the INEC timetable and schedule of activities for the 2019 general election indicated that publication of personal particulars of candidates (CF001) for the governorship and state houses of assembly elections would be made on November 9.

Section 31(3) of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended), provides that the publication must be made within seven days of the receipt of the form from political parties at the constituency where the candidate intends to contest the election.

The publication on Friday indicated that 41 political parties out of 62 in the state would contest the governorship election while 47 would participate in that of the state house of assembly.

NAN reports that only APC, PDP, SDP, ADC, AD and MPN fielded candidates for all the 40 seats in the state parliament.

Political parties that fielded candidates in at least 20 of the 40 state constituencies for the house of assembly election are: ADP (34) , ACCORD (28), NCP (23), PPC (21), ANP(20), PPN (20), LP (32) and PT (20)

Speaking with NAN on the development, Femi Akinbiyi, Lagos INEC public relations officer, said the commission had fulfilled the requirements of Section 31(1 and 3) of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) with the publication.

Akinbiyi said the list of political parties and the particulars of candidates participating in the house of assembly election had been published in the local government offices of INEC in the various constituencies.

“With this publication now, the commission is set for 2019 elections,” he said.

“We enjoin eligible voters who are yet to pick up their permanent voter cards (PVCs) to do so before it will be too late.

“Now, following the ongoing display of voters register across the 8462 polling units in the state, those PVCs have been moved to all the wards in each local government to bring it closer to the people for collection.

“Not minding the fact that the period for claims and objections during this period of display of voters register ends on Nov. 12, the commission has extended by one week the opportunity to distribute PVCs at the ward level.”