The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has disclosed the dates for political parties to conduct their primaries to select governorship candidates for the September election.
The commission warned political parties against conducting their primaries outside the state, and urged the parties to abide strictly by the rules governing the conduct of party primaries.
INEC National Commissioner in Charge of Information and Voter Education, Sam Olumekun, said this in a statement yesterday in Abuja.
The statement reads: “It will be recalled that INEC released the timetable and schedule of activities for the Edo State off-cycle governorship election. Among the activities listed for the election is the conduct of primaries by political parties scheduled for February 1 to 24, 2024.
“Under Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, political parties are required to give the commission at least 21 days’ notice before the date fixed for the conduct of their primaries. The last date for such notification lapsed on February 4, 2024.
“Sixteen political parties have notified the commission of their intention to participate in the election as well as their preferred modes and dates of primaries
“As the commission is set to deploy its monitoring teams, political parties are hereby reminded that Edo State is the constituency for the election. Therefore, primaries must take place within the state in line with sections 84(4) and 5(b) of the Electoral Act 2022.
“Parties are urged to avoid unnecessary postponement, arbitrary changes of venues of their primaries, wholesale changes of delegates’ lists, or the submission of names that did not emerge from valid primaries as candidates for the election.
“They should also avoid rancorous primaries that lead to the breakdown of law and order, often as a result of non-adherence to the provisions of their constitutions and guidelines. These are some of the issues that lead to a large number of pre-election litigations.
“The schedule of primaries proposed by the political parties has been uploaded to the commission’s website and social media platforms for public information.”
INEC also announced that the supplementary election into the Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency of Taraba State will be held on Wednesday, February 14, 2024.
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The commission said the election would be held in about 24 polling units spread across three local government areas of the state.
Olumekun said the full list and delimitation details of the polling units, including the number of registered voters and the Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) collected, had been uploaded to the commission’s website and social media platforms.
He said: “In the case of Enugu South 1 State Constituency, where the election will also be held on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, the names and delimitation details of the eight polling units remain unchanged.
“We call on all political parties and candidates to urge their supporters and agents to maintain the peace during the polls.”
Also, APC National Chairman Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has assured the 12 Edo State governorship aspirants in the February 17 party primary of a level playing field.
He said the most eligible and accepted candidate among them would fly the party’s flag in the September election.
Ganduje spoke through APC National Organising Secretary, Alhaji Suleiman Arugungu while inaugurating the Edo State National Governorship Aspirants Screening Committee and Screening Appeal Committee at the party headquarters yesterday in Abuja.
The national chairman urged members of the two committees to be meticulous in the discharge of their assignments and ensure that the outcome of their assignments would be devoid of any litigation.
Assuring the party and the aspirants to carry out their assignment in line with the guidelines, the Chairman of the Screening Committee, Prof. Taoheed Abdul Adedoja, promised that his committee would follow the guidelines the party had set for the exercise.
