The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has turned down the request by the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), for a review of the deadline for the conduct of party primaries
IPAC had appealed to the commission for 37 days extension to the deadline of the timeline for the conduct of party primaries and resolution of conflicts arising from them.
Speaking during the INEC’s second quarterly consultative meeting with political parties on Tuesday in Abuja, IPAC chairman, Yabagi Sanni, said the distraction caused by the Easter and Eid El Fitr as well as the preparation for the Osun and Ekiti elections necessitated the request.
“In summary, the general assembly of IPAC, after an exhaustive examination of the INEC timetable and related issues, arrived at a unanimous decision to request for an extension of 37 days to the deadline of the time frame for the conduct of party primaries and resolution of conflicts arising from the primaries.
“By implication, the IPAC leadership is appealing to the INEC to extend the deadline for the conduct of party primaries and resolution of ensuing conflicts from the present INEC given date of 3rd June, 2022 to 4th August 2022,” he said.
However, INEC chairman, Professor Manhood Yakubu said the commission’s position of its timeline remained.
He said, “I hereby reiterate the position of the commission that there will be no review of the timelines. There are so many inter-related activities that are associated with the timelines which must be carried out. Any review to extend the timeline for one activity will affect other activities and put unnecessary pressure on political parties and the commission,” he said.
“This will ultimately result in more complications than what the extension seeks to achieve. Therefore, the commission will not review the timelines.”
