The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has registered no fewer rhan 304 candidates from various political parties to contest elective positions in Borno state, ahead of the 2027 general elections in the country.
INEC’s Head of Department (HOD), Voter Education and Publicity, Shuaibu Maina, disclosed this in an interview with journalists on Tuesday in Maiduguri, the state capital.
Maina said the candidates comprise 13 governorship, 15 presidential, 28 senatorial, 57 House of Representatives and 191 State House of Assembly candidates.
He further revealed that the candidates represented various political parties, including Accord Party, Action Alliance, Action Peoples Party, African Action Congress, African Democratic Congress, All Progressives Congress, Allied Peoples Movement, Labour Party and National Rescue Movement.
Others, he added, were National Democratic Congress, New Nigeria Peoples Party, Peoples Democratic Party, Peoples Redemption Party, Social Democratic Party, Young Progressives Party and Zenith Labour Party.
On the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), Maina said the commission commenced the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) on Sept. 9 at the ward level.
He explained that the cards had been returned to INEC offices at the local government areas for onward distribution to their owners, particularly those who registered during the first phase of the exercise.
According to him, the commission is committed to ensuring that all eligible registrants receive their PVCs before the commencement of the 2027 general elections.
He, therefore assured residents who participated in the registration exercise that adequate arrangements had been made to facilitate the collection of their cards.
Maina urged eligible voters to collect their PVCs to visit the appropriate INEC offices at the local government level.
He emphasised that possession of a valid PVC was necessary for eligible citizens to exercise their voting rights, urging residents to take advantage of the exercise to participate in the electoral process.
