INEC warns political parties against frequent change of primary election dates

INEC warns political parties against frequent change of primary election dates

Joel Oladele, Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned political parties in the country against the habit of changing proposed dates and modes of conduct of primary elections.

The chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu stated this on Tuesday at the quarterly consultative meeting with the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), in Abuja.

The INEC boss while making reference particularly to the recently concluded governorship primary elections in Edo State noted that the act is not only disruptive but costly.

He also urged parties to avoid controversial primaries as it often lead to unnecessary litigations among party members in which the electoral umpire is always joined as a party.

“For the Ondo State Governorship election, party primaries begin in the next two weeks on 6thApril 2024 and ends three weeks later on 27thApril 2024. So far, 16 out of 19 political parties have indicated interest in participating in the election. 

“I urge political parties to adhere strictly to your proposed dates and modes of primaries. Frequent changes as we witnessed recently during the Edo primaries are not only disruptive but costly.

 “The Commission cannot mobilise, demobilise and remobilise our officials for the monitoring of party primaries at the convenience of political parties. Parties should stick to their proposed dates and modes of primaries for certainty and optimal deployment of resources.

“Political parties should avoid acrimonious primaries. Increasingly, the conduct of parallel primaries and the emergence of multiple candidates is a frequent occurrence. So too is the tendency to grant waivers to candidates who were a few days earlier card-carrying members of other political parties and nominating such persons to the Commission as their candidates for election. 

“Some of these infractions lead to unnecessary litigations among party members in which the Commission is always joined as a party. The legal fees and cost of producing Certified True Copies (CTCs) of documents can be used more productively in other electoral activities by both the political parties and the Commission. We must find a solution to this situation,” Yakubu noted.

Giving update on the forthcoming Edo and Ondo governorship elections, the INEC Chairman said political parties have 20 days to upload the list of their candidates to the portal which will be closing on the 24th March, noting  there won’t be an extension of deadline.

“As you are aware, the two elections are holding later this year. The Edo State Governorship election is holding in the next six months i.e. Saturday 21st September 2024 while the Ondo State Governorship election is holding in eight months i.e. Saturday 16thNovember 2024.

“Already, party primaries for the Edo State Governorship election have been concluded. By the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the election, political parties have 20 days to upload the list and personal particulars of their candidates to our dedicated portal. We have trained party Liaison Officers and established a Help Desk for political parties. 

“The portal opened on 4th March 2024 and will automatically shut down at 6pm on Saturday 24thMarch 2024. Two weeks later, only six parties have uploaded their nominations to the portal. We urge you to keep to our schedule of activities and avoid last minute rush that may undermine your ability to successfully nominate your candidates.

“There will be no extension of time beyond the deadline already published in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the election, to enable us publish the personal particulars of candidates (Form EC9) on 31st March 2024 as required by law,” he said.

Also, in his remarks, the National Chairman, Allied People’s Movement (APM), Alhaji Yusuf Dantalle noted that IPAC stands as a formidable unifying platform for political parties, promoting dialogue and cooperation on crucial national issues with a view to deepening and strengthening democracy in Nigeria.

Speaking on behalf of IPAC, he noted that crisis among political party is “strictly an internal affair of that party that should be resolved amicably devoid of Police harassment, embarrassment, intimidation and brutality.”

He added that IPAC will ensure enforcement of the current Code of Conduct for Political Parties which will be reviewed to accommodate recent developments not captured in the Code of Conduct. 

“When leaders of political parties and political office holders live up to expectations, Nigerians will have a breath of fresh air in governance,” Yusuf noted.

Speaking further, the APM chair said election is the beauty of democracy and it is the duty of political leaders to ensure the elections meet international best practices and also hold critical stakeholders accountable.

“The performance of opposition political parties in the elections was a welcome 2023 development and an expression of Nigerians’ faith and confidence in democracy.

“The lessons from the general election, off season governorship elections and rerun polls will give the Commission and Political Parties yet another opportunity to review and reexamine the Constitution, Electoral Act, the guidelines and regulations for the conduct of elections, and make necessary amendments that will strengthen the electoral process and integrity of elections conducted. 

“Election is the beauty of democracy. The ballot is sacred and sacrosanct. It is our duty as political leaders to ensure the elections meet international best practices and also hold critical stakeholders accountable. 

“Vote selling and buying, thuggery, voters apathy and intimidation of electoral officials particularly to declare results under duress are still issues militating against the conduct of credible polls in Nigeria.

“This leadership of IPAC will live up to its mandate to ensure an environment conducive for the conduct of successful elections. Accordingly, IPAC will set up a Constitution and Electoral Act Amendments Committee to review glaring irregularities in recent elections and make proposals to the National Assembly in its ongoing Constitution and Electoral Act amendments,” he stated.