Reactions has continued to trail the revised electoral calendar by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which mandates the conclusion of all party primaries by June 3.
According to the new timetable for the 2023 general elections released on Saturday, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, announced that all parties are to conclude primary elections for all positions, including resolutions of disputes that may arise therein.
This means that all the registered political parties must pick all their candidates for the 2023 presidency and other contestable positions latest by 3 June, within a 60-day or two-month grace period.
Top contenders for various positions as aspirants, including front line ones like a former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; current Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo; and former Senate President Bukola Saraki, and others are said to be upping their games ahead of the impending primaries in about four months’ time.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu, after the emergency meeting of the commission’s management, told reporters that the conduct of party primaries, including the resolution of disputes arising from them was slated for between Monday April 4, to Friday June 3, this year.
This means that all the registered political parties must pick all their candidates for the 2023 presidency and other contestable positions latest by 3 June, within a 60-day or two-month grace period.
Speaking on the matter, the Director Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Idayat Hassan said that the timetable is long enough a period.
“The timetable as released by INEC is favorable to political parties if only, they can study it and constructively engage it. For instance, they will have the opportunity to regroup after the primaries and pacify groups before the election proper. They (parties) also have more time to campaign as against the previous three months so can now reach the nooks and crannies of the country.
“It will also make the primaries to be less contentious. In fact, the law should not have taken any serious candidate by surprise, they had the draft bill and expected to study and project. Two months is enough, the emphasis should be on calming fray nerves post primary and again they av enough time for it,” she said.
On his part, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) National Chairman, Engr. Yabagi Yusuf Sani, told Daily Trust that the time table is fine.
“I believe it is okay as parties have been waiting for this legislation for long,” Sani said.
The Executive Director, Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, said that time is of the essence given the that the Electoral Act amendment was passed just a few days ago.
“The INEC had to quickly meet to recalibrate the dates for the elections. Given the circumstance, we believe the timeline given for the conclusion of party primaries should be followed by the parties.
“The important thing is not the long amount of time dissipated on the primary process. What is critical is for the primaries to be transparent, inclusive, participatory and credible. The political parties should be more interested in how to achieve credible and acceptable primaries, which with the right attitude can be done within the shortest possible time,” Zikirullahi said.
Also, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Dr. Victor Ike Oye, said the party can make do with the time available provided the elections will be free and fair.
“We commend President Muhammadu Buhari for giving assent to the new Electoral Act. We are confident it will restore confidence in our electoral process and consolidate our democracy,” Oye said.
Equally, Mallam Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, the Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Chairman, Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), told Daily Trust that INEC has limited options regarding the new timetable they issued given the short time the nation have to conduct the 2023 elections.
“This is why CSOs were advocating for timely response to the electoral amendment and the president’s accent to avoid any delay capable of undermining the electoral circle but some forces were working against Nigeria getting a better electoral framework. We can’t afford to shift our election circle because that was what the forces wanted,” Rafsanjani said.
On his part, National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) and former National Chairman of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), High Chief Peter Ameh, told Daily Trust that the time for primaries is too short and like an ambush for the so-called minor parties, who are not in government.
“If you want to do an election, you must do an electoral system that the framework protects everybody, either ‘big’ or ‘small’ parties to participate fully. But this ambush that you give people three months to run around for parties to put themselves together and organised primaries is not a level playing ground. I wish we could do better,” Ameh said.
Also speaking, a 2023 Presidential aspirant and Chairman of KAFTAN Television, Prince Adewole Omowumi Adebayo, told Daily Trust that primary election is an internal affair of the parties and that the timing should be enough for the parties to conduct their primaries.
