2023: Intrigue Alliance With Tinubu Thickens As Kwankwaso Withholds Presidential Candidacy From INEC

Then came a purported rebuttal after.

Nevertheless, Nigeria's political affairs analysts are keeping a close watch on former Kano State Governor and Presidential Candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, as it has emerged that he has not forwarded his name and supporting documents to the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC), a mere three days to the deadline set by INEC in accordance with the Electoral Act 2022.

Even more curiously, the NNPP has also not forwarded a single name of any of its candidates to the electoral commission. While it is not the only party in this boat as revealed by INEC via a statement by its National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voters Education Committee, Festus Okoye, on Wednesday, 13 July 2022, the NNPP is certainly the biggest party playing this intriguing game towards 2023 - considering the political stature of Sen Kwankwaso and the pivotal role his political base, Kano State, usually plays in the election of the Nigerian president in the country's political history.

Political analysts are therefore on the lookout for the next move Kwankwaso would make as it emerged that the NNPP and a fringe political party, the African Action Congress (AAC), are yet to indicate who their candidates would be in 2023.

Media reports have it that the AAC presidential candidate is the activist and Publisher of Sahara Reporters, Mr. Omowole Sowore

According to the INEC statement, only 16 out of 18 political parties are ready to sponsor candidates in the 2023 General elections with three days to the close of filing of candidates' names and particulars.

In the statement, Okoye wrote: "As provided for in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election released by the Commission on 26th February 2022, all political parties that conducted valid primaries are required to nominate their candidates for Governorship, Deputy Governorship and State Assembly elections via the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal (ICNP) from 1st - 15th July 2022.

"So far, the Commission has processed 6,995 nomination forms (EC9) uploaded by 16 out of 18 political parties for the constituencies where they intend to sponsor candidates. However, two political parties, the African Action Congress (AAC) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), are yet to upload a single nomination to the portal."

The INEC commissioner added: "The Commission hereby reminds all political parties that they have three days left to upload their list of candidates to the ICNP. The deadline is Friday 15th July 2022. The portal will automatically shut down at 6.00pm on that date.

"Meanwhile, the Commission has continuously responded to requests for the issuance of Certified True Copies (CTCs) of documents mainly arising from the conduct of party congresses, primaries and nomination of candidates. The number of requests processed has now risen to one million, six hundred and sixty-two thousand, nine hundred and eighty-seven (1,662,987) pages of documents. Sadly, in spite of the Commission's effort, 147 out of 476 requests processed as at today involving 5,646 pages are yet to be collected by applicants.

"The Commission appeals to prospective litigants to come forward and collect the certified copies of the documents."