The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced and reaffirmed the date for the release of the final list of candidates who will partake in the Anambra governorship election holding on November 6, 2021.
On Thursday at a meeting , the Commission came to a consensus to publish the final list on October 7.
Following a communique by INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Festus Okoye, the date is the same one contained in the timetable and schedule of activities for the election, which was released earlier.
Okoye said the timetable and schedule of activities approved by the Commission on January 18, 2021, provides for the withdrawal/substitution of candidates in line with Sec. 35 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).
Accordingly, by the deadline of July 30 fixed by the Commission, seven governorship and 11 deputy governorship candidates were substituted by 11 out of 18 political parties.
In addition to this, 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 All Progressives Grand Alliance and the nomination of its candidates for the Anambra Governorship election.
As a result of the substitutions and court judgements, the Commission has published an updated list of candidates on its website and will publish the final list on October 7.
Meanwhile, INEC Chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu has said that the electoral umpire will continue to deepen the use of technology in conducting elections across the country.
Professor Yakubu made the comment while speaking at the opening ceremony of a two-day retreat for officers of the commission in Keffi, Nasarawa State.
According to him, INEC does not need new laws to deploy certain technologies.
Based on that, he said the Commission will be deploying “new and innovative” technology for the Anambra poll.
“We may have different tools, but they all work towards achieving one and the same goal,” he said.
“There are some activities, some aspects of technology that we have deployed that the laws are already adequate for us to continue to deploy these tools.
“We don’t need any specific provisions of law, for instance, to deploy the EMSC (Election Monitoring and Support Centre).”
His comment comes weeks after the National Assembly passed the Electoral Act amendment bill amid sharp divisions over whether the electronic transmission of election results should be sacrosanct.