The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has listed Valentine Chineto Ozigbo as the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming Anambra State governorship election slated for November 6, 2021.
The electoral body said the commission was served with two judgements of the Court of Appeal (Awka Judicial Division) in respect of the candidature of the PDP for the Anambra governorship election.
INEC had earlier said the commission will continue to obey and give effect to court orders and judgments ahead of the poll.
A statement made available to LEADERSHIP in Abuja on Thursday signed by INEC national commissioner and chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, said the Court has ordered the Commission to recognize and publish the name of Ozigbo as the governorship candidate of the PDP.
Okoye said earlier, the PDP had substituted its deputy governorship candidate within the deadline provided by law.
Accordingly, he said the governorship and deputy governorship candidates of the PDP are as follows: Valentine Ozigbo and Mrs Lilian Azuka Enemo.
The commission said the final list of candidates will be published on October 7, 2021 as provided for in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the election.
On the movement of non-sensitive materials for the election, he recalled the attack on INEC facilities, saying, “The damage to the physical facility was extensive. So too was the destruction of movable materials, including 50 per cent of the non-sensitive materials already delivered for the election.
“While the commission is making efforts to rebuild the physical facilities, we took a pragmatic decision to distribute the replacement non-sensitive materials from our South East Zonal Stores in Owerri in order to meet our deadlines.
“For clarity, the non-sensitive materials are the non-pharmaceutical COVID-19 items such as hand sanitizers and face masks, envelopes, posters, stickers, sellotapes, scissors, liquid gum and other stationery items required mainly at the polling unit level.”
However, he said following a review of the deadlines for the completion of work on the destroyed physical facilities, the commission was satisfied that the ongoing work will be completed by the end of this month.
“Consequently, the commission is now in a position to operate from our office in Awka where the batching and distribution of all non-sensitive materials will take place.
“We appeal to all stakeholders to continue to cooperate with the Commission for a transparent and credible election in Anambra State,” he added.
