The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that nineteen political parties have submitted the details of their candidates for the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State. The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Oluwatoyin Babalola, made this known during a meeting with political party representatives at the commission office in Akure, the state capital.
Babalola stated that the parties have duly notified the commission about conducting their primaries for the governorship election in the state. Among the political parties that have notified INEC are the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Accord Party (AP), Action Alliance (AA), African Action Congress (AAC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), African Democratic Party (ADP), and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Other parties include the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Action Peoples Party (APP), Boot Party (BP), Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), National Rescue Movement (NRM), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Youth Party (YP), Young Progressives Party (YPP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
The REC further informed that the commission received notification from the political parties for the conduct of primaries for the governorship election exercise scheduled to commence from April 6 to 27. She emphasized that the meeting was an opportunity to engage with political parties on the upcoming party primaries and represented a critical juncture in the democratic journey in the State.
Babalola stressed the role of political parties in ensuring the success and integrity of the process, urging all parties to adhere strictly to the guidelines, rules, and regulations outlined in their constitutions and all electoral laws in the conduct of their primaries next month. She also advised parties to promote internal democracy in the conduct of their primaries to reduce tension, division, and pre-election cases that may arise after the primaries.