20, 000 candidates, Nigeria’s highest ever, participating in 2019 elections — INEC

The Independent and National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said there are over 20,000 candidates jostling for positions in the 2019 general elections.

The chairman of the commission, Mahmood Yakubu, made this known on Tuesday during a consultative meeting with the media at its headquarters.

He said the figure is the highest ever recorded in the country’s election history.

He said the commission is yet to calculate the number of those vying in the 68 area councils in the FCT. He promised that this will be ready within the next week.

Mr Yakubu also said there would be 1,800 senatorial candidates and 2,600 house of representatives candidates vying to represent the 109 senatorial districts and 360 federal constituencies respectively.

He added that 14,000 candidates will be vying for 991 state constituency seats.

He said the elections will take place in 120,000 locations.

“Election will take place in 120,000 locations so please bear with us. In the next one week or so, we will have the statistics and it will be clearer for us when we can expect to make a declaration but it’s not going to be a long wait,” he said.

The commission had earlier revealed that 84 million voters will be participating in the elections.

The presidential and national assembly elections are scheduled to hold on February 16 while the governorship and state houses of assembly polls will take place on March 2.