INEC extends deadline for primaries by six days, PDP kicks

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has finally bowed to pressure from some political party by extending the deadline for political parties to conduct their primaries for the 2023 general elections.

INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, announced this via a statement on Friday in Abuja. The statement was sequel to a meeting of leaders of various political parties with the leadership of INEC led by the Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, Friday.

At the meeting, the politicians under the auspices of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) appealed for adjustment of the timetable.

Chairman of IPAC, Sani Yabagi of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), said that adjusting the timetable of the election was necessary because the current timetable was too tight for the political parties.

Following the appeal, INEC said: “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.”

But shortly after announcement of the adjustment, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lampooned INEC for the extension of deadline for party primaries.

PDP spokesperson, Mr Debo Ologungba, speaking at the national stadium in Abuja, venue of the PDP Convention, said INEC has changed the goalpost in the middle of the game, stressing that certainty of elections is the bedrock of democracy.

“The consequences will be grave for the country. And of course we have to look at that.

“The bedrock of democracy is certainty of elections and the fact that the rules are clear to every participant; and you cannot shift the goalpost in the middle of the game.”