INEC GIVES PARTIES 30 DAYS TO SUBMIT MEMBERSHIP REGISTER BEFORE PRIMARIES

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has asked political parties to submit copies of their membership register to the commission before their primary elections.

The commission said the directive was in compliance with the new Electoral Act 2022, and mandatory requirement of the law.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, stated this at the second regular quarterly meeting of Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in Abuja yesterday.

Yakubu said that as stipulated in the Electoral Act, parties ought to submit their register to the commission a month to their primaries, congresses and conventions. He lamented that only one political party has complied.

INEC had earlier on Thursday, during the public presentation of the 2022 to 2026 Strategic Plan and 2023 Election Project Plan, disclosed that it was doing everything possible to ensure that the elections hold as scheduled without hindrance regardless of the challenges the nation may be facing, especially insecurity in parts of the country.

It also revealed that Commission would spend about N239.2 billion on procuring voting materials and vehicles that will be used in the 2023 general election. “The N239.2 billion, which constitutes 78.44 per cent of a N305 billion budget, would be spent on 10 critical items which includes ballot papers, operational vehicles, ballot boxes, allowances of ad hoc workers, printing of result sheets, logistics and procurement of accreditation devices. Also included in the N239.2 billion budget is the N27.1 billion set aside for possible run-off elections, including the one for the presidential poll.”

Yakubu said the commission was aware of the nation’s security challenges and their impact on the electoral process, noting that it would continue to engage early and intensely with the security agencies to ensure the safety of personnel and materials, accredited observers, the media and, above all, the voters.

“Clearly, these are challenging times but we are determined that elections must hold in 2023. However, this is a shared responsibility. INEC plays a critical role but the commission alone cannot deliver the elections we all desire. I, therefore, appeal to all Nigerians to join hands with us in ensuring that we make a success of the process,” he said.

He added that the activities in the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2023 general election are firm and fixed, adding that all stakeholders are advised to take this into consideration in planning their activities.

Yakubu stated that about one million electoral officials, both regular and ad hoc staff, would be deployed to 176,846 polling units in 8,809 Wards and 774 local councils in the country.