INEC: Some governorship candidates in Kogi, Bayelsa are underaged

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says some of those that emerged as candidates for the Bayelsa and Kogi governorship elections are below the required age.

Festus Okoye, chairman, INEC information and voter education committee, said this in a statement on Thursday.

The 1999 constitution pegs the required age for governorship position at 35.

But Okoye said the commission discovered the list of successful candidates in the primary elections featured names of individuals who are below the age of 30.

“The Commission has observed from a preliminary review of the list and personal particulars submitted by the political parties that some of the Governorship and Deputy-Governorship candidates are below the minimum age prescribed by the Constitution for these positions,” he said.

“The Commission will notify the concerned parties soon and subsequently consider further action.”

ONLY 10 PERCENT OF CANDIDATES ARE FEMALE

Okoye also said 52 political parties submitted the list of governorship candidates in Bayelsa while 49 did in Kogi state.

“Out of the 101 nominees for the two States, 91 are male, representing 90 percent, while 10 are female, representing 10 percent of all the nominees,” he said.

“Of the 52 nominees for Bayelsa State, 6 are female, while 46 are male. The corresponding figures for Kogi State are 4 female and 45 male nominees.”

The governorship elections in the two states are scheduled to take place on November 16.