The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has received the request by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to replace the late Abubakar Audu’s name with that of Yahaya Bello for the December 5 supplementary governorship election in Kogi State.
Mr Nick Dazang, INEC Deputy Director, Publicity, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.
Dazang, however, did not disclose when the commission received the request.
“They have sent the name of their replacement candidate, the second runner-up in their primaries, that is Yahaya Bello, to the commission,” Dazang said.
The deputy director also told NAN that the commission was much ready to conduct both Kogi supplementary and Bayelsa State elections scheduled for Saturday, December 5.
“The commission is committed to conducting the two elections. That is why in respect of Kogi, in spite of what happened, we came out with public notice which invites the APC to submit its replacement candidate for the election,” he said.
Dazang said that as part of the commission’s preparation for the Bayelsa poll, INEC would be holding stakeholders’ forum in the state on Tuesday.
The deputy director added that INEC had concluded the distribution of non-sensitive materials for the Bayelsa poll.
He also said that the commission would be going to Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to collect sensitive materials for onward distribution for the Bayelsa election on Wednesday.
“After the stakeholders’ forum, the commission will immediately on Wednesday commence the distribution of sensitive materials in the state.
“We are inviting the representatives of political parties, their agents, observers, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the media to witness the distribution of sensitive materials,” he said.
