299 candidates jostle for NASS seats in Lagos

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lagos State says 299 candidates across various political parties in the state are jostling for the National Assembly seats in the 2019 general elections.
INEC timetable and schedule of activities for the 2019 general elections indicated that publication of personal particulars of candidates (CF001) for the Presidential and National Assembly elections would be made October 25.
Fifty candidates are contesting for the three Lagos Senatorial seats across 25 political parties in the state.
Similarly, 249 candidates across 30 political parties are contesting the state’s 24 seats in the House of Representatives.
Section 31(3) of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended), provides that the publication must be made within seven days of the receipt of the form from political parties at the constituency where the candidate intends to contest the election.
A breakdown of the list showed that the Lagos West Senatorial District has the highest contenders of 22 candidates, while Lagos East and Lagos Central had 15 and 13 contestants respectively.
Political parties that fielded candidates in Lagos West are: Accord, AA, ADP, AAC, ADC, APC, AD, ANP, APM, CAP, DPP, GPN, MPN, NCP, ND, PDP, PPN, PRP, PT, PPC, UDP and YPP.
Political parties that fielded candidates in Lagos East are: Accord, ACD, AAC, ADC, APC, AD, CAP, DPP, ID, MPN, PDP, PPN, PT and PPC.
While in Lagos Central, the following parties fielded candidates: Accord, ACD, ADC, APC, ANP, FJP, ID, LM, MPN, PDP and PT.
For the House of Representatives seats, out of the 30 political parties participating, only PDP, APC and ADC fielded candidates in all the 24 federal constituencies while others did not.
Meanwhile, 76 political parties will be contesting for the Office of the President in 2019 general elections according to the INEC publication.
Mr Femi Akinbiyi, Lagos INEC Public Relations Officer, said the commission had fulfilled the requirements of the Section 31(1 and 3) of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) with the publication.
Akinbiyi said that the list of political parties and their candidates participating in Senatorial elections had been published in the Local Government Offices of INEC in the Senatorial constituencies.
According to him, the list of political parties and their candidates participating in the House of Representatives elections has been published in the Local Government Offices of INEC in the various constituencies.
The publication, perhaps will put to rest controversies and uncertainties in some parties and among some aspirants following recently concluded-primary elections of the parties and its attendant crisis.
The List of Governorship and Houses of Assembly candidates of various political parties is expected to be published on November 9.
The timetable has given all political parties up to Nov. 2 to submit Governorship and Houses of Assembly candidates.
Activities have picked up at INEC office ahead of the elections as various electoral officers in the 20 local government areas in the state were seen sorting and collecting documents.