400 candidates contest House of Assembly election in Borno

No fewer than 400 candidates are contesting in Saturday’s State House of Assembly election in Borno, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The candidates were fielded by 41 political parties for the 30 state constituencies.

NAN also reports that some 32 of the 41 registered political parties fielded candidates to contest in the state governorship election.

The state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Alhaji Mohammed Ibrahim, told NAN that the commission had screened over 400 candidates for the State House of Assembly election.

Ibrahim said that the candidates those from the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) and the major opposition, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The REC said that the commission had attained 100 per cent in its preparations for the elections.

He called on the candidates and their parties to support the commission by mobilising prospective voters to be orderly and peaceful during the election.

Some of the major contenders in the governorship race include Prof. Babagana Zulum of APC; Alhaji Muhammad Imam PDP, Rufai Monguno of the Independent Democratic Party (IDP) and Abubakar Bawa of Action Democratic Party (ADP).

While Dr Ahmed Dikwa is contesting the election under the platform of the Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP), retire Cpt. Ibrahim Mshelia is of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), and Aliyu Alhaji is of the Action Alliance (AA).

Other contestants are from the Social Democratic Party (SDP); National Rescue Movement (NRM), United Peoples’ Congress (UPC), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Alliance for Democracy (AD) and Democratic Peoples’ Congress (DPC).

NAN recalled that 104 senatorial and 244 House of Representatives candidates fielded by various political parties contested the Feb. 23 National Assembly elections in the state.