#ElectionBuzzNig’23
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), based on a plea from the Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, will extend the June 3 deadline for conducting the primary elections.
The commission, which had insisted that it would not tamper with the timetable for the 2023 elections, finally succumbed to the demand of the political parties by extending the deadline by one week.
PRESS RELEASE
Party Primaries and Submission of List of Nominated Candidates pic.twitter.com/05Pljr7Mpd— INEC Nigeria (@inecnigeria) May 27, 2022
At a meeting with the commission on Friday in Abuja, the leadership of the 18 registered political parties under the aegis of the Inter-Party Advisory Council restructured their demand. It appealed to INEC to shift the deadline by one week.
Ongoing…
Hon. Chairman INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and members of the Commission in a meeting with Leaders of Political Parties under the auspices of the Inter- Party Advisory Council (IPAC) at the Commission’s Conference Hall, pic.twitter.com/gN4nyq9Vzr— INEC Nigeria (@inecnigeria) May 27, 2022
IPAC had earlier sought a two-month extension, a demand vehemently rejected by the commission.
At the conversation in Abuja, the National Chairman of IPAC, Yabagi Sani, urged INEC to take a second look at the timetable. He said the commission should consider how tight the new Electoral Act 2022 is since it’s been used for the first time.
“The fact is, anything one is doing for the first time, you may make some mistakes.
“We feel if we’re given more time, we’ll deliver on the promise of having free and fair elections as we conduct our primaries.
“This meeting follows the meeting that the leaders of political parties had. Given the timetable, we unanimously considered it very important to seek another round of thoughts from the commission.
“We are very grateful to you because of the innovations you have brought to the electoral process, and we want to be partners in progress.
It’s why we are asking you to consider making a minor adjustment in the timetable to enable us to carry out this important assignment,” Sani said.
Also, the national chairman of Zenith Labour Party, Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, while reiterating the stance of the IPAC chairman, said the “window” would enable them to carry out the task ahead of them perfectly.
“We are pleading that you give us time and move it within June 4 and June 9, which is the deadline for submitting names of candidates that emerge from primaries. It’s to ensure that we put our house in order.
“We asked for 30 days; you refused. We asked for two months, but you also refused. So we are asking for this small window,” he added.
In his response, the chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, reiterated the commission’s stance of not changing its June 3 deadline for the primaries of the 18 political parties.
Yakubu said the meeting was distinct from its regular consultative meeting because the political parties specifically requested it.
“And the commission has obliged the parties accordingly. We just heard from the chairman of IPAC, who has once again requested a review of our election timelines on behalf of the political parties.
“It appears that the proposition this time around differs from the request made by IPAC. The commission has responded emphatically that an extension between 30 and 60 days will not be entertained because of the overlapping activities.
“The parties have now presented a more defined request for which the chairman calls for a little adjustment.”
Yakubu added that they would issue a statement after a working session with the parties.
