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Nigeria’s Electoral Body, INEC Lists Soludo As Candidate In Anambra Governorship Poll

INEC had excluded the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while Michael Umeoji was listed as the candidate for APGA.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, in compliance with a court ruling, has listed a former governor of the apex bank, Charles Soludo, as the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance.

INEC, on Thursday, published a revised list of candidates for the Anambra governorship election.

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INEC, however, still excluded the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the list of cleared candidates for the poll.

In the list published on July 16, INEC had excluded the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while Michael Umeoji was listed as the candidate for APGA.

But in a ruling on July 19, a Federal High Court in Awka, the Anambra capital, affirmed Soludo as the candidate of APGA.

Similarly, on August 10, a court of appeal sitting in Kano State had affirmed Victor Oye as APGA chairman — Soludo was elected governorship candidate of the party during a primary organised by the Oye-led faction.

Speaking on the development, Festus Okoye, INEC’s commissioner for information and voter education, had said the commission would comply with “valid court orders”.

In a statement on Thursday, Okoye said the commission met and deliberated on a number of issues, including the nomination of candidates for the Anambra governorship election.

According to him, the revised list of candidates is the result of a court order received by the commission on APGA, as well as the substitution of candidates’ names by various political parties.

“The commission was served with the judgement of the Court of Appeal (Kano Division) which set aside the judgement of the High Court of Jigawa State on the leadership of APGA and the nomination of its candidates for the Anambra governorship election,” the statement reads.

Okoye added that the final list of candidates will be published on October 7, 2021.

On June 23, Soludo emerged the winner of the Anambra governorship primary election of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

Soludo will be representing the party in the November 6 governorship election.

Soludo secured 740 votes to defeat other challengers. The total number of accredited delegates who participated was 795 while 792 votes were cast.