The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the final list of candidates for the forthcoming Nasarawa North Senatorial District by-election scheduled for June 20, 2026.

The list, published by the electoral body, confirms four candidates who will contest for the vacant Senate seat representing the district.

Those cleared by INEC are Halilu Onda Enyulu-Uza of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Maku Labaran of the Labour Party (LP), John Paul Aaraneshi of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), and Emmanuel David Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The publication of the final list signals the commencement of the final phase of preparations for the by-election, with political parties expected to intensify campaigns across the five local government areas that make up the senatorial district.

INEC had earlier assured stakeholders of its commitment to conducting a free, fair, and credible poll in line with the Electoral Act and established electoral guidelines.

The Nasarawa North Senatorial District comprises Akwanga, Wamba, Nassarawa Eggon, Kokona, and Nasarawa Local Government Areas.

With the release of the final list, attention now shifts to the campaigns and eventual showdown at the polls on June 20.

Former Minister of Youths and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has said President Bola Tinubu is afraid of ex-Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

Dalung, who was Minister during the administration of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, explained that Tinubu is a creation of El-Rufai, hence the president fears him the most.

In an interview on Mic on Podcast, the former minister recalled how El-Rufai fought for Tinubu to emerge as president of Nigeria.

He noted that there is a deliberate attempt to keep El-Rufai incarcerated until after 2027.

Dalung said: “There is a deliberate intention of having him incarcerated until this transition is over because the one Bola Tinubu feared the most is El-Rufai.

“And why do I say this? El-Rufai brought Tinubu and minus El-Rufai Tinubu would not have accepted in the North in 2023. He started the campaign of presidency going to the South and when Buhari told people to vote Ahmed Lawan, it was El-Rufai who knew Buhari very well that if you confront him with something like that he would deny it, he mobilized Northern governors to Buhari and said he heard that we should vote Lawan but Buhari said no, I’m a Democrat, allow people to choose.

“He came back and mobilized and mobilized the governors to support Tinubu. El-Rufai created Tinubu, remove El-Rufai would have not won in 2023. He was everywhere.

“He was even his campaign director. He was in Chatham House speaking for him.

“Tinubu knew the capacity of el-Rufai very well, and the best they can do is to have him incarcerated, alternating him from one court to the other. They’ll keep doing this and granting bail.

“Before we know it, we’ll have 10 or 15 bail applications granted, none of the conditions can be met until after 2027.”

The Director of Politics at Arise News, Sumner Sambo, has said that Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, WTO, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is not willing to leave her current position to become a running mate to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Sambo made the remark on Monday while speaking on The Morning Show, where he discussed ongoing political speculations ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to him, although Okonjo-Iweala may be considered for the role, she is not prepared to abandon what he described as a lucrative position at the WTO, where she is currently serving a second term that runs until 2029.

He further argued that it would be unlikely for her to leave a secured international appointment for a political contest in Nigeria, especially one he said is still facing legal and political uncertainties.

He said: “Well, from the latest I’ve heard that Ngozi Okonjo-Iwela, though she may be considered and all of that, she’s not willing to actually leave a lucrative job as a DJ of the World Trade Organisation to actually consider that.

“She’s made it known to them, and that is understandable because she just resumed in September last year, and she has a tenure that will run for a second term till 2029.

“So what will she be doing, you know, as a vice presidential candidate of a party that’s still in court, facing challenges. I think she already has a secure term there, and she wouldn’t consider the offer.”