The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, says it won’t be extending today’s (Friday) deadline for parties to submit the names of their presidential candidates and running mates.
The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, in an interview with a news platform (not Quest Times), insisted that the commission had not changed the deadline.
When asked if it was possible to get the number of political parties that had submitted the lists of candidates, Oyekanmi insisted the commission won’t be extending the deadline.
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“We have to wait till 6pm, Friday 17th June (the deadline), to have the accurate figure. There will be no extension,” Oyekanmi told PUNCH.
The commission last month fixed June 9 as the deadline for parties to conduct their primaries and June 17 for submission of candidates’ lists.
Earlier on Thursday, the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, had unveiled the Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate.
As of 9:50pm on Thursday, the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, had yet to announce his running mate amid controversy over a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
There were reports on Thursday that Tinubu had submitted a name to INEC as his running mate, who according to the report, he would replace later.
When contacted, the Director of Tinubu Campaign Organisation, Bayo Onanuga, said he was not aware of the development.