The presidential candidate and national chairman of the Action Alliance (AA), Aare Adekunle Rufai Omo-Aje, has said there is no cause for alarm over the omission of some gubernatorial and State House of Assembly candidates from the party’s final list released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He said all mechanisms are being put in place to address the issue and ensure that no legitimate candidate of the party is disenfranchised.
Speaking during a town hall meeting in Kaduna, Aare Omo-Aje said the omission, which affected several of the party’s candidates across the country, was believed to be a technical error on the part of the electoral commission.
According to him, the party’s legal team is already preparing a formal complaint to INEC to draw its attention to the anomaly and seek an immediate correction.
He listed some of the affected candidates whose names were conspicuously missing from the final list, including Barr. Eke Benjamin Israel, the Rivers State gubernatorial candidate; Titilola-Sodo Sikiru Dayo, the Oyo State gubernatorial candidate; Abdullah-Bukharin, the Nasarawa State gubernatorial candidate; and Zubairu Musa, the Bauchi State gubernatorial candidate.
Aare Omo-Aje added that the list of omitted candidates is not limited to gubernatorial candidates, as it also includes several National Assembly and State Assembly candidates whose names were not reflected in the INEC publication.
He stressed that the party is following up on all cases diligently and will not relent until the issue is resolved in the interests of justice and democracy.
The INEC final list of candidates, released ahead of the forthcoming general elections, has generated mixed reactions across the political landscape, as many political parties, including the Action Alliance, have observed that some of their duly nominated candidates were omitted.
Political observers note that such omissions are not peculiar to the AA, as candidates from other political parties have also suffered a similar fate, reportedly because of technical errors in uploading information to the INEC portal, documentation issues, or pending litigation arising from party primaries.
INEC’s guidelines state that the final list was compiled based on valid nominations, court orders, and compliance with the Electoral Act. The commission noted that any candidate whose nomination was affected by litigation or noncompliance would be excluded pending resolution of the issues.
Aare Omo-Aje, however, maintained that the Action Alliance complied fully with all INEC guidelines and deadlines. He expressed confidence that once INEC reviews its records, the omitted names will be restored.
He used the opportunity to commend INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan for the way he is running the affairs of the commission, describing his leadership as transparent and committed to credible elections.
He said the party has confidence in INEC’s current leadership to correct the error and ensure a level playing field for all political parties.
The AA presidential candidate called on party members and supporters, particularly in the affected states, to remain calm, law-abiding, and focused on their campaigns, assuring them that the leadership is on top of the situation.
He said the Action Alliance remains a formidable, law-abiding party that believes in the rule of law and due process and will continue to explore legal and administrative channels to reclaim its candidates’ mandates.
He further urged INEC to create a more robust verification mechanism before publishing the final list to avoid unnecessary anxiety and litigation that could distract from preparations for the elections.
