Following an appeal by eighteen registered political parties under the embrella of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to adjust the timetable to enable them ensure compliance, the electoral umpire has declined the request.
According to INEC Chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu, there would be no adjustment for the timelines, stressing that the elections will hold as scheduled.
“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 2023,” Yabuku noted.
The Chairman of IPAC, Yabagi Yusuf Sani, during the second quarterly meeting had appealed to INEC to change the date for party primaries to August 4 as against the June 4 timeline.
“In making the request for extension in the INEC stipulated timetable and schedule of activities for the 2023 general elections, we in the Inter-Party Advisory Council, are not unmindful of the provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act with respect to timelines in the electoral process.
“We are however, of the considered view that our request will not, in any way, tantamount to an infringement or, a breach of any extant laws and provisions. This is because, the alterations that we are demanding, will not affect the statutory dates already fixed for the conduct of the 2023 general,” Sani pleaded.
In attendance at the meeting were All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman Senator Abdullahi Adamu; APC National Secretary Senator Iyiola Omisore; PDP National Chairman, Professor Iyorcha Ayu; PDP National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu; All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) chairman Victor Oye, among other political party leaders.
It would be recalled that INEC published the timetable for the 2023 general elections just after the 2022 Electoral Act was signed into law.
