INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu disclosed this while speaking at a meeting organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development in Abuja.

According to him, the final list for governorship and state assembly candidates is expected to be published on October 4.

Prof Yakubu, while appealing to political parties and their candidates to focus on issue-based campaign, added that the Commission has set September 28 for the commencement of campaigns.

The INEC Chairman said the electoral body is collaborating with security agencies to ensure a peaceful election.

He made the announcement on Thursday via his social media handles.

Abubakar posted, “I am delighted to announce Governor Ifeanyi A. Okowa as my Vice Presidential candidate.

“I look forward to travelling our great country together, engaging with all Nigerians and building a shared future of peace, unity, and prosperity for all. As One We Can Get It Done. #OneNigeria.”

At the PDP executive meeting on Thursday at the party’s headquarters in Abuja, the National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, said a 17-member committee had been set up by the party to pick a running mate.

He said the committee had submitted three names to Atiku to choose from.

The final decision however, Ayu said, was Atiku’s.

Speaking at the announcement event, Atiku said making a choice between the three names had been a difficult decision.

He also noted that some of the qualities he looked out for include someone who understands the enormity of the challenges facing the country and one who has demonstrated, from experience, that he can proffer some solutions.

According to him, his exploits as the governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 made him qualified to become the party’s flagbearer.

The Director of Media and Communication of the Tinubu Campaign Organisation, Bayo Onanuga stated this in a statement on Tuesday.

According to the statement, Tinubu had appeared before the screening committee of the APC on Monday to defend his presidential ambition in the presence of a committee led by a former national chairman of the APC, John Oyegun, at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja.

Onanuga said, “He (Tinubu) confidently told the panel why he is qualified to fly the flag of APC as its presidential candidate.

“He cited his success as governor of Lagos State, raising the internal revenue generation of the state from a paltry N600 million monthly, which has now grown to N51 billion today.”

Onanuga added that Tinubu demonstrated a vast knowledge of economic management and a perfect understanding of Nigeria’s political economy in his answers.

Tinubu was also said to have cited his invitation to Enron to start the first state-backed power generation project in the country and how Nigeria would need to take the power transmission lines as a highway.

Questions asked the APC National Leader included his upbringing, and educational and professional background.

“Tinubu impressed the panel during the screening process with the way and manner he answered and provided insight into many of the questions asked.

“The screening committee expressed satisfaction with Tinubu’s knowledge of the economy and socio-political issues that are affecting the country,” Onanuga stated.

His emergence as the party’s flagbearer follows his victory at the presidential primary of the Labour Party.

The party conducted the primary for its presidential ticket on Monday in Asaba, Delta State capital.

A total of 185 delegates had been accredited to vote in the exercise to elect one of four aspirants seeking to clinch the party’s presidential ticket.

Mr Obi He later won the contest following his emergence as the sole contestant, after his three co-contenders announced their decision to step down for him.

The other presidential hopeful who stepped down were a political economist and management expert, Professor Pat Utomi, Olubusola Emmanuel-Tella, and Faduri Joseph.