Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), yesterday listed  73 presidential candidates for the February 16, 2019 election.

Those who scaled the hurdle included the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Muhammadu Buhari; Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) Atiku Abubakar; Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Oby Ezekwesili; Fresh Party (FP), Christopher Okotie; Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party (ANDP), Obaje Yusuf Ameh; Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), Durotaye Adetokumbo; National Conscience Party of Nigeria (NCPN), Salisu Yunusa Tanko and Alliance for a United Nigeria (AUN), Angela Johnson Ann.

The commission, however, refused to list any of the two APC aspirants in Rivers State, Tonye Cole and Magnus Abe. No gubernatorial candidate was also listed for the APC in Zamfara State because of the crisis in the party.

It equally revealed that the presidential candidates of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), former Minister of Information, Jerry Gana and former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke and their running mates were omitted because of the pending court cases.

The commission also cleared the former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor-Kalu (APC) and 15 other candidates to contest next month’s Abia North senatorial election.

According to the list, the duo of the governors of Imo and Ogun states, Rochas Okorocha and Ibikunle Amosun respectively, made the final list of candidates for their respective senatorial zones despites the threats from their party accusing them of anti-party activities.

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INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said 73 candidates are contesting in the presidential election, 1,904 in the senatorial and 4,680 in the House of Representatives elections, making a total of 6,657 candidates contesting for 470 seats.

Speaking during a meeting with the Committee of Vice Chancellors (CVC) in Abuja, yesterday, the INEC boss said: “The final list of candidates for governorship, state assembly and FCT area council elections will be released in two weeks on Thursday, January 31, 2019, in accordance with the commission’s timetable and schedule of activities.

“Collation of results will take place in 8,809 registration areas or wards, 774 local government areas and 36 states and the FCT. In addition, we require returning officers for the elections.

“For the 2019 general elections, the commission would require some 10,603 staff to support the various collation and declaration processes. It is for this reason that this meeting is of crucial importance.

“We need the support of our universities to source the requisite number of interested academic staff on the understanding that this is essentially a national service.

“The commission always appreciates the support of the vice chancellors and the collaboration with the universities often under strenuous circumstances. We shall continue to work together in our collective effort to consolidate our democracy.

“It is less than a month to the general elections. On Saturday, February 16, 2019, elections will hold in 470 constituencies nationwide made up of the presidential, 190 senatorial and 360 federal constituencies.”