The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as against its earlier position not to extend the timeline for the conduct of political parties’ primaries, has given parties that are yet to conduct their primaries six days window.
The extension was contained in a statement this evening by the National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee Chairman, Barr. Festus Okoye, after a meeting with political parties, said earlier parties had requested for 37 – 60 days extension of the timeline for primaries and the nomination of candidates.
Festus added that, based on the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election, political parties have now pleaded with the Commission to use the 6-day period between 4th and 9th June 2022 to conclude outstanding primaries and prepare to upload the list of candidates and their affidavits on the INEC Candidates Nomination Portal
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He said; “The Commission did not schedule any specific activity during this period.h The idea is to simply give parties time to compile the list and personal particulars of their nominated candidates before uploading same to the INEC Candidates Nomination Portal from 10th – 17th June 2022.
“The Commission has decided to allow the request of the political parties since the six-day period does not conflict with the next scheduled activity which is the submission of the list of nominated candidates or any of the subsequent timelines which remain sacrosanct.
However, this request is granted in respect of outstanding primaries only without prejudice to those already concluded by political parties. The Commission will not monitor already concluded primaries.”
Okoye further said the Commission urged parties to ensure that their primaries are free of rancour in order to meet the timelines for the remaining activities embodied in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election.