Deadlines For Primaries: Do Not Pressure INEC To Bend Rules – Legal Expert Warns

As some groups call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to extend the deadlines, for conduct of primaries by political parties as they express inability to meet up, a legal expert have said it amounts to pressuring the electoral body to compromise the standard timelines set for the elections by the electoral laws.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Prof. Paul Ananaba, while appearing on Channels Television SunriseDaily programme on Wednesday morning stated that INEC being an independent body should be allowed to take its own decision in line with the legal framework for the election.

Ananaba pointed out that expecting INEC to heed such call would affect the integrity and independence of the commission, adding that provisions of the 1999 constitution and the Electoral Act should be adhered to, not calls from any group.

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Prof. Paul Ananaba

He said the timetable and schedule for the elections has been released by INEC for more than two months back and that every political party knows the time range for the elections. “We already know the range of time it will hold. After this one in 2023, we know that in 2027, there will be another election. What is the business of political parties if not to be ready for elections?”  Ananaba queried.

The INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu had during his remarks at second quarterly meeting with political stakeholders in Abuja on Tuesday said the commission would not review the deadline for the party primaries.

The electoral body had on February 26, 2022, published the timetable and schedule of activities for 2023 elections and indicated that the conduct of primaries by political parties would commence on 4th April 2022 and end on June 3^rd 2022.

The INEC chairman said the commission had in the past two weeks reminded political parties of the need to strictly comply with the timelines for party primaries, and explained that extending the deadline for the primaries would affect other electoral activities on the line-up and unfortunately put the commission into pressure to meet up as the electoral laws stipulate.

His words: “I hereby reiterate the position of the Commission that there will be no review of the timelines. There are so many inter-related activities that are associated with the timelines which must be carried out.

“Any review to extend the timeline for one activity will affect other activities and put unnecessary pressure on political parties and the Commission. This will ultimately result in more complications than what the extension seeks to achieve. Therefore, the Commission will not review the timelines.

“Working together, we should ensure fidelity to the timelines in conducting transparent and democratic primaries for the purpose of electing candidates for the 1,491 constituencies for which elections will be held on 25th February and 11th March 202,” Yakubu stated.

The INEC boss also informed the political stakeholders that the commission has prepared a document to guide political parties in the conduct of primaries and nomination of candidates for election, including a checklist of the documentation required for a successful nomination. He also disclosed that a calendar for presidential, governorship, national and state assembly seats primaries has been prepared based on the proposals submitted by political parties as at Friday 6th May 2022.

The INEC chairman urged all political parties and stakeholders in the electoral process to work in unity in order to avoid breaching the electoral laws.  He further admonished political parties to conduct a rancor-free election.

The 18 registered political parties under the auspices of the Interparty Advisory Council (IPAC) have appealed to INEC to extend the deadline for the conduct of primary elections.

The IPAC) Chairman Yabagi Sani during an interactive session with political parties in Abuja on Tuesday stated that the reason for seeking the extension of the deadline was that the forthcoming elections in Ekiti and Osun States, coupled with the screening of large number of aspirants by political parties could affect the timely completion of the primaries in line with the timetable.

Also speaking as a guest on Channels TV Sunrise Daily this morning, Sani argued that the request for a slight adjustment of INEC’s schedule of activities is not unprecedented in the electoral history, adding that the commission did not consider some of the hiccups that could arise when it drew the timetable for the election.