Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the All Progressives Congress in Kogi State baring any last minute change, has lost the Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu House of Representatives bid as the party was excluded from the final list of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
The Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Matthew Kolawole who is the candidate of the party, has for the past weeks been from pillar to post after discovering his name was not uploaded on the portal of the Electoral Commission.
Kolawole had also taken steps to rectify the issue, including taking his party and INEC to court, but all to no avail.
Justice Peter H. Mallong, in his ruling said the electoral umpire is entitled to set timeline for all its activities.
The Judge further said once the timeline is passed, the court cannot force the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to extend the date as such is the discretion of the electoral body.
Meanwhile, in the final list uploaded by INEC on Tuesday, the Commission uploaded the names of other parties and their candidates, except APC for the election.
The names are:
– Mishael Seun Silvanus – A
– Idris Salman – ADC
– Mishael Silvamus – ADP
– Adebayo A. David – NNPP
– Olorunmagba Emmanuel Sunday – NRM
– Olabatoke Olaiya Michael – PDP
– Ojo Akinola Abimbola – YPP
– Mejabi Abdullahi Ade – ZLP
The possibility of the ruling APC having its name on the ballot is now dicey and may be dependent on the outcome of the Appeal suit filed by the Speaker.
According to Matthew, other candidates in similar situations with him across the country have gotten justice in their favor, and he cannot be an exemption.
