The Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) has read the riot act to all political parties in the country over their primaries, insisting that they have to get them done over with in 24 days’ time as stipulated in the electoral timetable released by the commission.
Chairman INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, delivered the message in person on Tuesday 10th May, 2022 at the commission headquarters, Abuja while addressing leaders of the Political
Parties at the second quarterly meeting of INEC held at the conference hall of the commission.
The political parties present included Action Alliance (AA), All Progressives Congress (APC), Action Peoples Party (APP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), National Rescue Movement (NRM), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Social Democratic Party (PDP) who were attending this meeting for the first time in their newly elected executives.
The meeting was also the first since the Electoral Act 2022 came into force on Friday 25th February 2022. It was also the first meeting since the Commission released the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election over two months ago on Saturday 26th February 2022.
According to Prof. Yakubu, already, all 18 political parties have forwarded the schedules of their primaries to the Commission, and some have commenced the process of choosing their candidates by conducting Ward and Local Government congresses.
He said: “The period earmarked for the conduct of primaries by political parties commenced on 4th April 2022 and will end 24 days from today i.e. 3rd June 2022.
“Twice in the last two weeks, the Commission had cause to remind political parties of the necessity for strict compliance with the timelines for party primaries. I hereby reiterate the position of the Commission that there will be no review of the timelines.
“There are so many inter-related activities that are associated with the timelines which must be carried out. Any review to extend the timeline for one activity will affect other activities and put unnecessary pressure on political parties and the Commission.”
In his response on behalf of leaders of the political parties, the chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, Engineer Yabagi Yusuf Sani, appeal to the leadership of INEC to extend the election timetable to enable political parties to have enough time to screen candidates due to the influx of high number of aspirants across political p arties.
Sani said: “Consequent on our belief in your clear vision, heroic and patriotic intentions, IPAC has on its part, all along, chosen to remain a reliable partner and a formidable pillar by being consistent in its support and defence of INEC on the series of the administrative reforms and introduction of technology which in our view, are with the noble objectives of further enhancing the efficiency of the electoral process.
“It is within the framework of the enduring bond between the INEC and IPAC in service to the country, that all the eighteen registered political parties on the platform of IPAC are jointly, without exception, requesting the INEC to consider a slight adjustment to the recently announced timetable and schedule of activities for the 2023 general elections.
“Very pertinently, the IPAC General Assembly regards the time allotted by INEC for the conduct of party primaries as too short in view of the efforts required by the political parties for effective and scrupulous screening and selection of qualified and quality standard bearers.
“In making the request for extension in the INEC stipulated timetable and schedule of activities for the 2023 general elections, we in the Inter-Party Advisory Council, are not unmindful of the provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act with respect to timelines in the electoral process. We are however, of the considered view that our request will not, in any way, affect the Electoral Acts and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
