The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the list of candidates for the Anambra governorship election, and two notable names are missing.
Former Central Bank governor, Charles Soludo, weeks ago won the ticket of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), while businessman, Valentine Ozigbo, won the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Both names did not make the list of candidates published by INEC on Friday, July 16, 2021 in line with the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended).
INEC said it considered and enforced judgements and court orders that have been issued in relation to the primary elections that led to the emergence of the candidates.
The primary election victories of Soludo and Ozigbo were challenged by factions in their parties that also claimed rights to the winning tickets through factional primary elections.
Chukwuma Umeoji, the other acclaimed winner of the APGA's factional primary election, was the one listed by INEC on Friday as the party's legitimate candidate.
No candidate was listed for the PDP following a judgement of an FCT High Court that ruled INEC should suspend moves to publish anyone's name as the party's candidate pending the hearing of a suit.
Ugochukwu Uba, a former senator, is the other person laying claim to the PDP's ticket in opposition to Ozigbo's victory.
Andy Uba, also a former senator, was listed as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Ifeanyi Ubah, a serving senator, listed as candidate of the Young Progressive Party (YPP).
Adaobi Okpeke of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) and Doreen Maduka-Arisa of the Action Alliance (AA) are the only women contesting the election, while 37-year-old Ekene Nwankwo, representing Accord, is the youngest candidate.
The November 6 election is expected to be closely-fought between the APGA, APC, and PDP.
Full list of candidates:
- Ekene Nwankwo - Accord (A)
- Doreen Maduka-Arisa - Action Alliance (AA)
- Oby Chukwudozie - African Action Congress (AAC)
- Akachukwu Nwankpo - African Democratic Congress (ADC)
- Ume-Ezeoke Douglas - Action Democratic Party (ADP)
- Andy Uba - All Progressives Congress (APC)
- Chukwuma Umeoji - All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)
- Eze Chukwuma - Allied Peoples Movement (APM)
- Azubuike Echetebu - Action Peoples Party (APP)
- Chika Jerry - Boot Party (BP)
- Agbasimalo Emmanuel - Labour Party (LP)
- Ohajimkpo Emeka - New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)
- Adaobi Okpeke - National Rescue Movement (NRM)
- Yet to be determined - Peoples Democratic Party PDP
- Nnamdi Nwawuo - Peoples Redemption Party (PRP)
- Ekelem Arinze - Social Democratic Party (SDP)
- Ifeanyi Ubah - Young Progressive Party (YPP)
- Ugwoji Uchenna - Zenith Labour Party (ZLP)