INEC Extends Deadline For Primaries By 6 Days

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has finally caved in to the request of political parties to adjust the timetable for the 2023 polls.

The Commission agreed to extend the deadline for the conduit of party primaries by six days.

This was coming after a closed door meeting with the leadership of the political parties under the auspices of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).

The parties during a meeting on Friday made a fresh appeal to the Commission to reconsider its earlier position and alter the timetable.

The Commission, in a statement by its National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee Festus Okoye, said it 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.

It however stressed: “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.”

It added: “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.

“After the conduct of primaries, the next critical activity for political parties is the online submission of the list of the candidates the party proposes to sponsor which shall be accompanied by an affidavit sworn to by the candidates indicating that they fulfilled all the constitutional requirements for election into the various offices via the INEC Candidates Nomination Portal.”