ABP protests candidate’s exclusion

The All Blending Party (ABP) has protested against the exclusion of its governorship candidate, Motunrayo Bamaiyi from the Kogi State election.

The Director-General of the party’s governership campaign organisation, Ugbede Iduh, who led other party members on a peaceful protest to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) headquarters in Lokoja, at the weekend, said they were surprised that the commission excluded the name of its candidate from the final list it released ahead of the November 16 election.

He said they had sought explanations from the national leadership of the party on why their candidate was not listed, but did not get any cogent response.

Addressing the protesters, the INEC’s National Commissioner in-charge of Kogi, Nasarawa and Kwara States, Mohammed Haruna, said the candidate was not listed by the commission, because he was underaged.

He explained that the party’s nomination was invalid on grounds that the candidate it submitted to INEC is 33 years-old, as against the 35 years stipulated by the constitution.