By-elections: Parties violating laws over primaries – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday said that some of the political parties that indicated interest to contest in the various by-elections across the country did not specify the venues within the respective constituencies for the conduct of their primaries contrary to the provisions of the law.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Festus Okoye, said this at the end of the commission’s management meeting.

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The meeting, Okoye said, was to further review preparations for the Edo and Ondo governorship elections as well as all outstanding by-elections.

He recalled that the commission had on August 11, 2020 released the Harmonized Timetable and Schedule of Activities affecting 12 outstanding by-elections in eight states of the federation scheduled for October 31, 2020.

“Out of the 18 registered political parties in Nigeria, 13 have notified the commission of their intention to conduct primaries towards participating in the outstanding by-elections. All the 13 political parties opted for indirect primaries.

“However, it is observed from the notices to the commission that some of the political parties did not specify the venues within the respective constituencies for the conduct of their primaries.

“The attention of political parties is hereby drawn to the provisions of Section 87(4)(c) of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) which makes it mandatory for any party that intends to nominate a candidate to the Senate, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly to hold its congresses in the respective Senatorial District, Federal Constituency and the State Assembly Constituency,” he said.

Okoye added that the Speakers of Enugu and Katsina State Houses of Assembly had notified the commission of the deaths of the members representing Isi-Uzo State Constituency of Enugu State and Bakori State Constituency of Katsina State and have declared vacancies for the said constituencies.

He said that this brought the total number of vacancies and by-elections to be conducted to 14.

He said: “Accordingly, the commission has released a Harmonized Timetable and Schedule of Activities for two constituencies.

“The Notice of Election shall be published on 26th August 2020 and political parties shall conduct their party primaries between 27th August and 8th September 2020.”

He therefore urged political parties to strictly comply with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and the commission’s regulations and guidelines in the conduct of primaries and nomination of candidates.