By: Ngozi Anna Akunne
Indications have emerged that the Independent National Electoral Commission may bow to pressure from political parties seeking the extension of the June 3 deadline for the conduct of primary elections.
The commission, which had insisted that it would not tamper with the timetable for the 2023 elections, may finally succumb to the demand of the political parties by extending the deadline by one week.
At a meeting with the commission on Friday, May 27th in Abuja, the leadership of the 18 registered political parties under the aegis of Inter-Party Advisory Council restructured their demand and appealed to INEC to shift the deadline by one week.
IPAC had earlier sought a two-month extension, a demand which was vehemently rejected by the commission.
The National Chairman of IPAC, Yabagi Sani, at the parley in Abuja, urged INEC to take a second look at the timetable, which he said the commision considered tight in respect of the fact the new Electoral Act 2022 is being put to use for the first time.
Also, the national chairman, Zenith Labour Party, Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, while reiterating the stance of the IPAC chairman, said the “window” would enable them to carry out the task ahead of them perfectly.
The chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, in his response, reiterated the commission’s stance of not changing its June 3 deadline for the primaries of the 18 political parties.
Yakubu said the meeting was distinct from its regular consultative meeting because it was specifically requested by the political parties.
Yakubu added that a statement will be issued after a working session with the parties.
Source: punchng.com
