The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has omitted the name of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, governorship candidate in Kano State, Aminu Abdussalam-Gwarzo, from its final list of candidates for the forthcoming governorship election.
The list, which surfaced online late Saturday, featured candidates of other political parties, but neither the NDC nor its governorship candidate appeared on the three-page document.
The development has prompted a reaction from the Kano State chapter of the party, which has urged its members to remain calm amid the controversy.
In a statement made available to the press, the party’s Public Relations Officer, Yusuf Fasaha, said the party had contacted INEC over the omission.
According to Fasaha, the commission attributed the problem to its computer section and assured the party that the issue would be rectified.
He maintained that Abdussalam-Gwarzo had fulfilled all the requirements for the election, insisting that the candidate completed his registration within the stipulated period.
Fasaha also said the party had uploaded the candidate’s details to INEC’s portal and that his name had been captured in the party’s registration records.
He therefore maintained that the omission was not due to any failure by the candidate or the party to meet the necessary requirements.
The list published by INEC contains 17 governorship candidates and their running mates representing different political parties in Kano State.
Among those listed is Governor Abba Yusuf, who is contesting on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, alongside his running mate, Murtala Sule-Garo.
Other political parties whose candidates appeared on the list include the African Democratic Congress, ADC; the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP; the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA; the Labour Party, LP; and the Social Democratic Party, SDP, among others.
As of the party’s statement, the NDC was expressing confidence that the omission would be resolved following its engagement with the electoral commission.
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Editor: Nkoli Omhoudu
