…No female Candidate on the List

…Action Peoples Party Missing on the List

…INEC Opens Portal for Submission of Names.

Seventeen of Nigeria’s eighteen registered political parties have concluded their primary elections and are on course to meet the Independent National Electoral Commission’s June 17, 2022 deadline for the submission of names of their presidential candidates. Of the lot, not a single woman was able to scale the hurdle to be on top of the ticket.

It is yet to be seen whether a woman would be nominated as a vice presidential candidate of any of the political parties but intense lobby and strategic calculations are going into the selection process with different interest groups issuing subtle threats to political parties to be conscious of regional and religious balancing.

2023: List of Presidential Candidates

1. Accord (A) : Christopher Imumolen
2. Action Alliance (AA) : Hamza Al Mustapha
3. Action Democratic Party (ADP) : Yabagi Sani
4. African Action Congress (AAC) : Omoyele Sowore
5. African Democratic Congress (ADC) : Dumebi Kachikwu
6. All Progressives Congress (APC) : Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu
7. All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) : Peter Umeadi
8. Allied Peoples Movement (APM) : Yusuf Mamman Dantalle
9. Boot Party (BP) : Sunday Adenuga
10. Labour Party (LP) : Peter Obi
11. National Rescue Movement (NRM) : Okwudili Nwa-Anyajike
12. New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) : Engr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso PhD
13. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) : Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
14. Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) : Kola Abiola
15. Social Democratic Party (SDP) : Adewole Adebayo
16. Young Progressive Party (YPP) : Prince Malik Ado-Ibrahim
17. Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) : Chief Dan Nwanyanwu

It is not yet clear if the Action Peoples Party will be fielding a presidential candidate in the 2023 general election as no date was given for its convention to elect such a candidate.

In order to further reinforce its neutrality on all matters pertaining to the elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published its guidelines for the submission of names of candidates by the political parties. The guidelines which signals a green light that all is set, eliminate all forms of direct physical interface between INEC officials and representatives of political parties. It will also ensure that all parties are on the same page on this matter.

INEC Guidelines for Submission of Candidates’ Names

In its guidelines, INEC writes:

“Following the conclusion of primaries, political parties are reminded of the dates and procedure for submitting the list of their candidates as provided in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Elections as follows:

“National Elections: Presidential/Vice Presidential, Senatorial and House of Representatives;10-17, June 2022.

“State Elections: Governorship/Deputy Governorship and State Houses of Assembly, 1-15, July 2022.

“There will be no physical interface between party officials and INEC staff. All submissions must be uploaded to the INEC candidate Nomination Portal (ICNP). The Commission has trained party officials on the procedure and established a Telephone Help Desk for those that may require assistance.

“The web portal will automatically shut down at 6:00pm on 17th June for National elections and 6:00pm 15th July for state elections”.

According to an informed source, INEC does not want to get lumbered with the antics of political parties over issues that are simple and straight forward.