YouTuber Niko Omilana registers more than 100 candidates in General Election under own name
Influencer who stood in London mayoral election three years ago says stunt is to highlight 'absurdity' of electoral system
Police have been made aware of a potential electoral matter after multiple general election candidates were registered under the name of a YouTuber
YouTuber Niko Omilana has registered more than 100 candidates in the General Election under his own name as part of a stunt to highlight the "absurdity" of the electoral system.
The prank has seen Omilana, who has millions of subscribers on YouTube, register candidates in constituencies across the UK, including against high-profile politicians such as Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer.
In an interview with ITV News, Omilana said he had got people to legally change their name to his by deed poll so that they could stand in the election.
"I've got people to legally change their name to Niko Omilana by deed poll so that they could stand in the election," he said.
"It's to highlight the absurdity of the electoral system. Anyone can stand in an election, even if they have no experience or qualifications.
"I'm hoping that this stunt will make people think about the way we elect our representatives."
A spokesperson for the Electoral Commission said they were aware of the situation and were investigating.
"We are aware of the situation and are investigating," the spokesperson said.
"We will not be commenting further at this time."
تعليقات