Politics
INTIMIDATION WON’T DERAIL 2027 PREPARATIONS, RIVERS ADC ASSURES MEMBERS
Politics
INEC Unveils Tinubu, Atiku, 16 Others For 2027 Presidential Race
The list includes candidates from 18 political parties contesting the presidential election, along with their respective presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
According to the list, signed by Rose Oriaran-Anthony, Secretary of the Commission, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is fielding President Bola Tinubu, 74, as its presidential candidate, with Vice President Kashim Shettima, 59, as his running mate.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presents former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, 79, as its presidential candidate, with former Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, 61, as his running mate.
Below is full list of the presidential candidates and their running mates:
- APC: Bola Tinubu (74) / Kashim Shettima (59)
- ADC: Atiku Abubakar (79) / Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (61)
- NDC: Peter Gregory Obi (65) / Musa Mohammed Rabiu Kwankwaso (69)
- LP: Sunday Chibuzo Okereke (43) / Hajja Bintu Konto (54)
- PDP: Sandy Ojang Onor (60) / Umaru Babangida (61)
- AA: Rufai Adekunle Omo-Aje / Shehu Hussaini
- ADP: Aliyu Abbas-Bin / Chinazam Ike
- APP: Kabiru Yusuf / Peace Egobia Ofordile
- AAC: Omoyele Sowore / Haruna Garba Magashi
- APM: Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde (58) / Musa Lawal Daura
- BP: Sunday Adenuga / Usman Turaki Mustapha
- DLA: Moses Olusoji Adebisi / Nafisat Usaku Abubakar
- NDP: Ada Elizabeth Fredrick Okwori / Uchenna Anthony Chukwuemeka
- NRM: Nkem Esther Okereke / Nasir Muhammed Sulaiman
- PRP: Donald Duke / Kabiru Rabiu
- SDP: Adewole Ebenezer Adebayo / Usman Muhammed Bugaje
- YPP: Peter Ada Agada / Patience Ndidi Key
- ZLP: Daniel Daberechukwu Nwanyanwu / Hassan Khalid
Politics
Alleged Rivers Constituencies Shortfall, Lawyer Drags INEC To Court
A Port Harcourt-based legal practitioner, Mr Ugochukwu Okparanta, has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the Federal High Court in Rivers State, seeking an urgent review of the number of constituencies represented in the state House of Assembly.
In the suit marked FHC/PH/CS/140/2026, Mr Okparanta alleged that the present constituency structure in Rivers State falls short of the constitutional requirements prescribed under Sections 91 and 112 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Section 91 of the Constitution provides that, subject to its provisions, a House of Assembly of a state shall consist of three or four times the number of seats the state has in the House of Representatives.
Section 112 further provides that INEC shall divide every state in the federation into such number of state constituencies as is equal to three or four times the number of federal constituencies within that state.
According to the suit, Rivers State has 13 federal constituencies.
The plaintiff argues that by the constitutional calculation, 13 federal constituencies multiplied by three should give Rivers State a minimum of 39 state constituencies.
But the state currently has only 32 state constituencies, leaving what the claimant describes as a deficit of seven constituencies.
Mr Okparanta said the issue was not merely a matter of arithmetic, but one of constitutional compliance, equitable representation and the political rights of the people of Rivers State.
“When seven constituencies are missing from the constitutional arrangement, it necessarily means that seven areas of the state are denied the level of representation contemplated by the Constitution.
“The people of Rivers State should not be made to bear the consequences of an arrangement that appears inconsistent with the clear provisions of Sections 91 and 112 of the Constitution”, he said.
Mr Okparanta said he had earlier served a pre-action notice on INEC in Abuja in June 2026, drawing the Commission’s attention to what he described as the constitutional shortfall.
According to him, the notice urged INEC to take the necessary steps to correct the anomaly without the need for litigation.
He said the decision to approach the court became necessary after INEC allegedly failed to act on the complaint.
“In June 2026, we served a pre-action notice on INEC in Abuja, drawing the Commission’s attention to this constitutional shortfall and urging it to take the necessary steps to correct the anomaly without recourse to litigation.
“Significantly, in that same month, INEC announced the restoration of 22 state constituencies across Benue, Delta, Jigawa and Kogi states, following judgments of courts”, he said.
Mr Okparanta said the affected states had challenged what they considered the suppression of constituencies and failure to comply with constitutional requirements governing the creation and delineation of state constituencies.
He maintained that Rivers State should not be treated differently if the constitutional provisions support its claim.
“Where a constituency arrangement does not comply with the Constitution, affected citizens have the right to demand its correction”, he maintained.
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