By Gift Olivia Samuel, The Sight News
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has urged the 16 political parties that have notified the Commission of their intention to participate in the Edo State Governorship election as well as their preferred modes and dates of primaries to avoid rancorous primaries.
This is just as the Commission noted that such acts can lead to the breakdown of law and order often as a result of non-adherence to the provision of their constitutions and guidelines, adding that these are some of the issues that lead to a large number of pre-election litigations.
The National Commissioner & Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, who made this known in a statement on Thursday 8th February 2024, also urged the Parties to avoid unnecessary postponement, arbitrary changes of venues of their primaries, wholesale change of delegates’ list or the submission of names that did not emerge from valid primaries as candidates for the election.
He recalled that INEC has released the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the Edo State off-cycle Governorship election, noting that among the activities listed for the election is the conduct of primaries by political parties scheduled for 1st-24th February 2024.
“By virtue of Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, political parties are required to give the Commission at least 21 days notice before the date fixed for the conduct of their primaries. The last date for such notification lapsed on 4th February 2024.
“As the Commission is set to deploy its monitoring teams, political parties are hereby reminded that Edo State is the Constituency for the election. Therefore, primaries must take place within the State in line with Sections 84(4) and 5(b) of the Electoral Act 2022”, he said.
He further noted that the schedule (dates and modes) of primaries proposed by the political parties has been uploaded to the Commission’s website and social media platforms for public information.
