The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the final list of candidates eligible to participate in the governorship election in Osun State.

The list showed that Governor Gboyega Oyetola, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Senator Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would slug it out with 13 other candidates.

According to INEC, only 15 out of the 18 political parties would participate in the poll.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr. Festus Okoye, in a statement yesterday, said the publication of the final list was due to close of nominations by parties and in compliance with the Electoral Act 2022.

He said: “The Commission wishes to remind political parties that under Section 32(2) of the Electoral Act 2022, any party that observes that the name of its candidate is missing from the list “shall notify the commission in writing, signed by its National Chairman and Secretary, supported with an affidavit not later than 90 days to the election.”

Okoye, therefore, advised parties to note the provision of the law for compliance.

MEANWHILE, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has dismissed a report that he might support or endorse the presidential ambition of the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

In a telephone conversation with The Guardian, Media Adviser to the minister, Sola Fasure, said there was a misrepresentation of what was reported in a national newspaper that Aregbesola would support a particular presidential aspirant.

Fasure added that the person that with the media did not categorically said the minister had instructed his loyalists to support any candidate.

In his reaction, Publicity Secretary of a faction, Abiodun Agboola, said the progressive family in Osun had not decided who to support among the presidential aspirants.