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Omeiza Ajayi, Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has disclaimed a report that it released a fresh “final list” of presidential and National Assembly candidates, urging the public to discountenance the report.

The National Commissioner and Chairman, the Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC, issued the disclaimer Monday in Abuja.

A national newspaper (not Vanguard) had on Monday reported that the commission on Sunday published the final list of candidates for the election.

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Vanguard recalls that INEC had in September last year published the final list of presidential and National Assembly candidates.

Okoye in the disclaimer said; “The attention of the Commission has been drawn to reports widely circulated by a section of the media today, Monday 9th January 2023, that the final list of candidates was released on our website on Sunday 8th January 2023.

“The Commission wishes to state categorically that no new publication of the final list of candidates was released as reported. The public should therefore discountenance the story.

“For the record, the final list of candidates for the 2023 General Election was published at least 150 days before the day of election in compliance with the provision of Sec. 32(1) of the Electoral Act 2022. Accordingly, the final list for Presidential and National Assembly elections was published on 20th September 2022 while that of Governorship and State Assembly elections was published two weeks later on 4th October 2022. These are clearly indicated as item 8 on the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election released by the Commission on 26th February 2022.

“There cannot be a final list of candidates with just 46 days to the General Election except for names published as substitutions for candidates nominated earlier in compliance with Court Order. Moreover, some of the candidates that allegedly made the new “final” list are still in Court and the matter is therefore subjudice.

“Political parties, litigants and the public should be guided accordingly”, he added.