The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Saturday displayed the list of candidates of 17 political parties vying for the September 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo State.

The State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Dr Anugbum Onuoha, displayed the list at the INEC office in Benin City. The list showed that the Commission dumped Barrister Anderson Uwadiae Asemota, the candidate of the Alhaji Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the Labour Party, LP, for Barrister Olumide Akpata of the Julius Abure-led camp of the party.

Recall that the Apapa faction of the LP had in a letter dated February 22, 2024 and addressed to the National Chairman of INEC, submitted Anderson Uwadiae Asemota and Barrister Monday Ojore Mawah, as the candidate and running mate of the party, respectively.

The candidates listed by the Commission are Mr Uwaifo Osaro, Action Alliance (AA), Aner Abdullai Aliu, Social Democratic Party (SDP), Azena Azemhe Friday, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Osifo Isaiah, All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Ugiagbe Odaro Syvelster, All People Movement (APM) and Areleogbe Amos Osalumese, All Peoples Party (APP).

Others are Akhime kingson Afere, Action Democratic Party (ADP), Udoh Obersifo David, African Action Congress (AAC), Akhalamhe Amiemenoghena, Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Ighodalo Asuerinme, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Osirame Edeipo, Boot party (BP), Enabulele Bright, Accord party (AP), Obazele Paul Agbone, African Democratic Congress (ADC), Olumide Akpata, Labour Party (LP), Okpebholo Monday, All Progressives Congress (APC), Key Patience Ndidi, People Redemption Party (PRP), and Okungbowa Paul Ovbokhan, Young Progressive Party (YPP).

The Commission has said it will publish the personal particulars of the governorship candidates and their deputies by displaying copies of Form EC9 along with all academic credentials and other documents submitted by each candidate at the State Headquarters and the 18 local government offices across Edo State.

The Commission in a statement by Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, however, charged Nigerians to scrutinize the documents. In the same vein, it noted that any aspirant who participated in the party primaries, and who has reasonable grounds to believe that the information provided by the candidate is false, can challenge the nomination in a Federal High Court as provided in Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022.