Nigerian political parties and their presidential candidates : Sequel to the expiration of the deadline for the substitution and withdrawal of nominated candidates for presidency, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday cleared 20 presidential candidates to contest the April 9, 2011 election.

Those cleared include
President Goodluck Jonathan (Peoples Democratic Party);
Muhammadu Buhari (Congress for Progressive Change);
Nuhu Ribadu (Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN);
Pat Utomi (Social Democratic Mega Party);
Dele Momodu (National Conscience Party);
Ibrahim Shekarau (All Nigeria Peoples Party);
Akpona Solomon (National Majority Democratic Party);
Chris Nwaokobia (Liberal Democratic Party);
Chris Okotie (Fresh Democratic Party);
Ebiti Ndok (United National Party for Development).

Others are: Iheanyichukwu Nnaji (Better Nigeria Progressive Party);
John Dara (National Transformation Party);
Mahmud Waziri (People for Democratic Change)
Nwadike Chikezie (Peoples Mandate Party)
Peter Nwangwu (African Democratic Congress);
Rasheed Shitta-Bey (Mega Progressive Peoples Party)
Yahaya Ndu (African Renaissance Party);
and Ambrose Awuru (Hope Democratic Party).

The commission also advised former vice president and erstwhile presidential aspirant on the platform of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who had petitioned it against the party to seek redress in court. This was even as it described his petition as containing issues that were strictly "internal affairs" of the party. This is just as there are over 160 pre-election cases filed nationwide against the commission.

INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, who disclosed these at a press conference in Abuja yesterday to roll out the commission's preparedness for the April 2011 elections also announced a provisional figure of 67, 764, 327 million voters in the recently concluded registration exercise.

Expatiating on the details of the candidates sponsored by political parties, Jega disclosed that only 54 out of the 63 political parties are sponsoring candidates for the general elections while ACN, ANPP, CPC and PDP have candidates in all elective positions.

He explained that the commission would conduct elections into the office of president and vice-president of the federation, governors and deputy governors of some states of the federation and into of the national and state Assemblies.

The INEC boss said that the complete list of all nominated candidates for every position in the forthcoming election would be published between March 2 and March 16, 2011 in accordance with the time table and schedule of activities issued by the commission.

According to him, "the commission has been processing particulars of candidates submitted by political parties, substitutions and withdrawals. Today, Monday February 21st is the deadline for the withdrawal/nomination of presidential and vice-presidential candidates by the parties.

"But the process is ongoing, and will conclude with the withdrawal/nomination of governorship, deputy governorship and State Assembly candidates by political parties not later than Monday, February 28, 2011"

He added that the "candidates for election to the office of governor and deputy governor of a state and to the membership of the state Houses of Assembly have up to the 28th February, 2011 to withdraw their candidature"

ATIKU'S PETITION:

Meanwhile, the commission admitted receiving a petition from PDP's former presidential aspirant, Atiku Abubakar seeking to compel INEC not to recognise the candidature of President Jonathan arising from the party's presidential primary. Atiku had written to INEC alleging irregularities in the conduct of the primary.

But while shedding light on the petition, Jega said the commission had examined the petition written by Atiku and discovered that all the issues raised in the letter had to do with the 'internal affairs' of the party. He therefore advised Atiku to seek redress in court instead.

"Yes, I can say that we have received a petition from Atiku Abubakar and I can also say that we have looked at it and all the issues raised are based on internal affairs of the party. So what we do is to advise the aspirant to go to court. These are issues not really for the commission to settle", he stated.
Nigerian political parties and their presidential candidate.