The Independent National Electoral Commission says it has listed a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Chukwuma Soludo, as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance in the Anambra State governorship election.

The PUNCH reported that Soludo replaces a member of the House of Representatives, Michael Umeoji who belongs to an APGA faction on the list of candidates that would contest for the elections scheduled for November 6.

WuzupNigeria had reported that Soludo was delisted last month and replaced with Umeoji following a leadership crisis with two APGA factions claiming supremacy prior to the primaries.

While the Victor Oye-led faction conducted the primaries that produced Soludo, the Jude Okeke faction conducted the primary poll that declared Umeoji as the party’s candidate.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party remains excluded from the list of cleared candidates for the poll.

However, INEC, after meeting on Thursday to deliberate a number of issues including the nomination of candidates, said that it would publish the final list of eligible candidates on October 7

In the statement released in Abuja, INEC National Commissioner and chairman (Information and Voter Education Committee), Festus Okoye, said, “The commission met today (Thursday, August 19 202) and deliberated on a number of issues, including the nomination of candidates for the Anambra Governorship election holding on November 6 2021.

“The timetable and schedule of activities approved by the commission on January 18 2021 provide for the withdrawal/substitution of candidates in line with Sec. 35 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).

“Accordingly, by the deadline of July 30 2021 fixed by the commission, seven (7) governorship and eleven (11) deputy governorship candidates were substituted by eleven (11) out of the eighteen (18) political parties.

“Similarly, the commission was served with the judgement of the Court of Appeal (Kano Division) which set aside the judgement of the High Court of Jigawa State on the leadership of APGA and the nomination of its candidates for the Anambra Governorship election.

“The list of substitute candidates is attached to this Press Release. It has also been published on the commission’s website.

“However, the final list of candidates will be published on October 7 2021 as provided in the timetable and schedule of activities for the election.”