The Independent National Electoral Commission has said that names of 73 presidential candidates have been submitted for the 2019, even as the deadline for withdrawal and substitution of candidates for the election draws near.
The Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who spoke today, Friday, at the opening ceremony of a two-day capacity building workshop for journalists in Abuja, said: “at the end of the period for the substitution and withdrawal of candidates for the presidential election, a total of 73 political parties have now filed their nominations.
“Even so, a few parties have nominated candidates below the mandatory age of 35 years as presidential and vice presidential candidates.
“We have drawn the attention of the parties concerned to the breach of the constitutional requirement ahead of the publication of the full list of presidential and vice presidential candidates for the 2019 General Elections.
“For National Assembly elections, a total of 1,848 candidates (1,615 males and 233 females) are vying for 109 Senatorial seats, while 4,635 candidates (4,066 males and 569 females) are competing for the 360 seats in the House of Representatives.”
The chairman also said that the full list of candidates and their political parties would be published for public information in line with the commission’s timetable and schedule of activities.
The commission had earlier announced receipt of 79 candidates as of the close of submission of nomination forms in October.
Source: NAN.
