The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has on Thursday, January 31st (today) released a final list of Gubership and House of Assembly candidates in Rivers State, Igbere Tv reports.
According to Igbere Tv reporters, the names of the candidates of the All Progressive Congress (APC) were absent on the final list.
This, has sparked jubilations among the members of the rulling party in the state (the Peoples Democratic Party) as this would heighten the chances of Gov Wike winning a second term.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on Thursday, January 17, released a list signed by Rose Orianran-Anthony, the commission’s secretary and while candidates of the PDP, SDP and Labour Party among others made the list, those of APC were excluded.
A Federal High court in Port Harcourt, the state capital had nullified the direct and indirect primaries conducted by the two factions of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Rivers state.
The court presided over by Justice Kolawole Omotosho held that both primaries were not conducted according to the law.
Justice Omotosho had also restrained the electoral body from recognising Tonye Cole and Magnus Abe as governorship candidates of the APC in the general elections.
Senator Abe was declared the winner of a direct governorship primary conducted by a faction of the party in 2018 after polling 144, 929 votes.
But Cole emerged the winner of an indirect primary held by another faction with 3,329 votes.
Following the rulings, Obo Effanga, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Rivers state insisted that the electoral umpire would always obey court injunctions.
Below are photos of the list as pasted by INEC officials in Rivers state as seen by Igbere Tv below;
