Against speculation of bowing to pressure from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Nigeria’s electoral arbiter, INECsays it will not extend the deadline set for the primary elections of the political parties.
In its schedule and schedule of activities published in February for the 2023 General Elections, the commission had scheduled April 4 to June 3 for the election of the flag bearers of all political parties for the 2023 elections.
With about 28 days to go until the deadline, the country’s main political parties, APC and PDP, appear not to be ready for their primaries. While APC continues to sell nomination forms to applicants, the PDP is evaluating eligible applicants.
However, the two main parties are reportedly pressuring INEC to change the dates.
In an unusual race, no fewer than 23 and 17 people have shown interest in the ruling APC and PDP presidential bids, respectively.
PREMIUM TIMES confirmed on Thursday that 15 hopefuls have paid 100 million naira each for the presidential contest in the APC, while more than half have obtained the same 40 million naira forms in the PDP.
With the growing number of hopefuls and upheaval over zoning for the top job, leaders of both parties are under immense pressure to handle the matter carefully or risk an all-out crisis.
The deadline is maintained
However, the INEC, in a statement issued by its spokesman, Festus Okoye, on Thursday, warned the political parties not to dare to resolve it within the deadline.
“Given the importance of the exercise for the emergence of candidates for the different elective positions for the 2023 General Elections, it is imperative to remind the political parties that they have one month from today to conclude their primaries. The deadline remains Friday, June 3, 2022. Although it urges the parties to guarantee a transparent exercise without rancor, the Commission reiterates that the deadline is firm and fixed.
“The nominations for the presidential and National Assembly elections will be presented through the INEC web portal from June 10 to 17, 2022, while the nominations for the governorship and state assemblies will be presented between June 1 and 15. July 2022,” Mr. Okoye said.
The commission also confirmed full compliance with section 82(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 by all 18 political parties in the country.
The section directs all political parties to notify the commission of the dates of their conventions, congresses and primary elections in order to nominate candidates for various elective offices.
Although both the PDP and the APC have not clearly revealed where they intend to locate the presidential headquarters, the dates of the primaries tentatively remain May 28 and 29 for the former and May 31 for the latter.