Six out of the eight political parties that signified their intention to participate in the March 14 by-election into Patigi state constituency in in Kwara have submitted their Forms EC9 and EC9E to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja.
The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Kwara, Malam Garba Madami, confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Ilorin.
Madami said INEC headquarters communicated the list of the six political parties to Kwara through a letter signed by the Commission’s Secretary, Mrs Rose Anthony.
The letter, dated Feb. 20, 2020, was titled: “Forwarding of Forms EC9 and final list of candidates for Patigi State Constituency By-election scheduled for 14th day of March, 2020.”
The REC explained that by the letter from INEC headquarters, only six political parties would take part in the by-election.
He listed the six political parties and their candidates as: Shehu D. Usman (AAC), Zubairu Shaba Musa (ADC), and Ahmed Rufai Adam (APC).
Others are Mohammed Aishetu (APM), Oladipo Benjamin (NNPP) and Mohammed Salihu Yahaya (PDP).
Madami added that the commission has published the list of the candidates that would take part in the March 14 by-election in accordance with Section 31 (3) of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended.
NAN recalls that eight political parties had earlier conducted their primaries to elect candidates for the by-election.
They were Action Alliance (AA), African Democratic Congress (ADC), African Action Congress (AAC), All Progressives Congress (APC), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Action Peoples Party (APP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Patigi constituency in the House of Assembly became vacant following the death of the member representing the constituency, Mr Ahmed Rufai, on Dec. 3, 2019.
NAN also reports that the Clerk of Kwara House of Assembly notified INEC about the death of the member via a letter dated Jan. 27, 2020, in line with Section 116 (2) of the 1999 Constitution. (NAN)
