There are indications that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may cave in to pressure from political parties seeking to extend the June 3 deadline for conducting primary elections.
The Commission, which had previously stated that it would not tamper with the timetable for the 2023 elections, may finally cave in to political parties’ demands by extending the deadline by one week.
At a meeting with the Commission on Friday in Abuja, the leadership of the 18 registered political parties represented by the Inter-Party Advisory Council restructured their demand and requested that the deadline be pushed back by one week.
IPAC had previously requested a two-month extension, which the commission flatly refused.
Yabagi Sani, the National Chairman of IPAC, urged INEC to reconsider the timetable, which he said the commission considered too tight given that the new Electoral Act 2022 is being used for the first time.
Sani said “And the fact is that anything one is doing for the first time, you may make some mistakes. And we feel that if we’re given more time, we’ll be able to deliver on the promise of having free and fair elections as we conduct our primaries.
“This meeting is coming on the heels of the meeting which the leaders of political parties had, where we unanimously considered it very important to seek another round of thoughts of your commission in view of the timetable.
“We are very grateful to you because of the innovations that you have brought to the electoral process and we want to be partner in progress, that is why we are asking you to consider giving a little adjustment in the timetable to enable us carry out this important assignment.”
Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, National Chairman of the Zenith Labour Party, reaffirmed the IPAC chairman’s position, saying the “window” would allow them to complete the task perfectly.
“What we are pleading is to give us time and move it within June 3 and June 9 which is the deadline for the submission of names of candidates that emerge from primaries. This is to ensure that we put our house in order,” he said.
“We asked for 30 days, you refused us. We asked for two months, you also refused. So we are asking for this small window,” he added.
Yakubu went on to say that a statement would be issued following a working session with the parties.
