KOGI POLLS: INEC To Shortlist 23 Political Parties For Election

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has shortlisted 23 parties of which would be participating in the upcoming governorship election in Kogi State on November 16.

Making the clarification during a workshop meeting with journalists on Wednesday, the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC, Mr. Festus Okoye, disclosed that out of the 92 registered political parties in Nigeria, 64 conducted primaries in readiness for the Kogi governorship poll, and 49 filed their nominations, out of which 41 were valid, while 18 withdrew.

He said 23 parties would be on the ballot papers on the election day.

Okoye said that notice of the poll will be given on November 2, adding that any party that fails to submit the names of its agents for the election; such will not be accepted thereafter. Campaigns, he said, would end on November 14.

Okoye said INEC will train 16,139 ad-hoc workers for the exercise, besides creating 3,508 polling points across the 21 local governments.

He urged the media and other stakeholders to arm themselves with the relevant laws guiding the electoral process.

Okoye solicited partnership between INEC and the media, as well as effective coverage of the election, asserting that it is a panacea for peaceful and sustainable democracy.

“The media is indispensable in the task of nation building and instituting democratic and electoral order in Nigeria. This task is a national imperative, as the business of conducting credible election is a shared responsibility of all the critical stakeholders in Nigeria. Media practitioners are critical stakeholders in the electoral process, with the constitutional responsibility of holding the government accountable and acting as the tribunal of the people,” he said