BREAKING: INEC Extends Deadline for Conduct of Primaries

• Against its earlier stance INEC has extended the deadline for the conduct of primaries by political parties
• The commission made the adjustments on Friday after a meeting with IPAC, an umbrella body for the 18 registered political parties in Nigeria
• Chairman of IPAC, Sani Yabagi explained that adjusting the timetable became necessary because of the current timetable which he said was too tight for the political parties

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for the conduct of party primaries.

The commission disclosed this in a statement on Friday, signed by Festus Okoye, INEC national commissioner in charge of information and voter education.

The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) had requested an extension of the deadline for primaries to a date between June 3 and June 10.

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In a statement after a meeting involving IPAC and INEC on Friday, the commission said it had granted the request of political parties to extend the deadline.

“Based on the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election, the parties have now pleaded with the Commission to use the 6-day period between 4th and 9th June 2022 to conclude outstanding primaries and prepare to upload the list of candidates and their affidavits on the INEC Candidates Nomination Portal,” the statement reads.

“The Commission did not schedule any specific activity during this period. The idea is to simply give parties time to compile the list and personal particulars of their nominated candidates before uploading same to the INEC Candidates Nomination Portal from 10th – 17th June 2022.

“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.”

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BREAKING: INEC might adjust party primaries timetable, meeting ongoing

Legit.ng had earlier reported that there are indications that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may bow to pressure from political parties to adjust the electoral timetable, especially on the party primaries.

The commission and the leadership of the 18 registered political parties are having an emergency meeting on the way forward.

At the the ongoing meeting at INEC headquarters in Abuja, the Inter Party Advisory Commission (IPAC) asked for a week extension for political parties to conclude the conduct of their presidential conventions and primaries.

Source: Legit.ng