The duplication of candidates’ names across political parties has emerged as a notable feature of the final list of candidates released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2027 Edo State House of Assembly election.
An analysis of the 164 entries on the list, published in Benin, shows that two candidates appear under two different political parties in the same constituencies.
The affected individuals are Ogbebor Samson Osemudiamen, listed under both the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Esan North East II, and Usman William Idenobe, listed under the APM and PDP in Etsako East.
The dual listings have raised questions about whether the entries are the result of an administrative error, a nomination-related issue, or another circumstance that requires clarification from the electoral body.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of INEC in Edo, Mrs. Toyin Buoro, acknowledged that the state office had also noticed the anomaly. She explained that the observation had been referred to the appropriate authorities at INEC headquarters.
“Our observation too, but that was what was sent from the headquarters and we have drawn the attention of the appropriate quarters to it, awaiting their reply,” she said.
Beyond the questions surrounding the duplicated names, the list also reveals a substantial gender imbalance among the contestants. Of the 164 candidates counted, 148 are men, representing 90.24 per cent, while only 16 are women, accounting for 9.76 per cent. This translates to approximately nine male candidates for every female candidate.
The figures indicate that women remain significantly underrepresented among those seeking seats in the state legislature, despite years of advocacy for greater female participation in elective politics.
A breakdown of the 16 female candidates by party shows that the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has the highest number with four women, followed by the Action Democratic Party (ADP) with three. The Labour Party (LP) has two female candidates, while the All Progressives Congress (APC), PDP, Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), African Action Congress (AAC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP) and APM each have one female candidate.
For the APC, the female candidate is Maria Edeko, aged 63, who is seeking re-election in Esan North East II. The PDP’s female candidate is Uyigue Efosa, aged 61, contesting in Ovia North East I, while the NDC has Natasha Osawaru, aged 32, also seeking a second term in Egor.
The SDP’s four female candidates are Kemi Akerele (Akoko Edo I), Shirley Negbedion (Esan North East I), Imuetinyan Bright (Egor) and Tracy Ogiemwanye (Ikpoba-Okha). The ADP is fielding Bukky Ayetan (Egor), Osarenkhoe Erhunmwunse (Ikpoba-Okha) and Patience Edobor (Orhionmwon I).
While women are contesting across different political platforms and constituencies, their overall share remains below 10 per cent of the total number of candidates listed for the election.