Candidates vying for offices in the February elections can breathe easy as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it would not empanel clearance committees to scrutinize their records.
“To the best of my knowledge, there is no such arrangement. I don’t have such information yet,” Kayode Idowu, Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, told Vanguard in a telephone interview.
The development is a total deviation from the 2007 and the 2011 general elections where candidates for the elections, after submission of their lists by the political parties, were screened by verification committees set up by the commission.
Vanguard notes that the commission, pursuant to the provisions of section 31 of the Electoral Act 2010, has the mandate of undertaking such exercises, shortly after it has commenced the publication of the personal particulars of candidates, otherwise known as Form CF 001 for the offices of President, Vice President, Governor, Deputy Governor, Members of the National Assembly (Senate and House of Representatives) as well as the State Assemblies.
Support InfoStride News' Credible Journalism: Only credible journalism can guarantee a fair, accountable and transparent society, including democracy and government. It involves a lot of efforts and money. We need your support. Click here to Donate