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The Independent National Electoral Commission has debunked the reports widely circulated by a section of the media today, Monday 9th January 2023, that the final list of candidates was released on INEC website on Sunday 8th January 2023.
In a statement by National Commissioner & Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, there is no new publication of the final list of candidates as reported, and the public to discountenance the story.
Okoye noted that for the record, the final list of candidates for the 2023 General Election was published at least 150 days before the day of election in compliance with the provision of Sec. 32(1) of the Electoral Act 2022.
He said accordingly, the final list for Presidential and National Assembly elections was published on 20th September 2022 while that of Governorship and State Assembly elections was published two weeks later on 4th October 2022. These are clearly indicated as item 8 on the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election released by the Commission on 26th February 2022.
There cannot be a final list of candidates with just 46 days to the General Election except for names published as substitutions for candidates nominated earlier in compliance with Court Order.
Moreover, some of the candidates that allegedly made the new "final" list are still in Court and the matter is therefore subjudice.
Political parties, litigants and the public should be guided accordingly.