2023: We stand by the reports of primaries observed by our staff — INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has insisted that it would not jettison the reports submitted by its staff on the Yobe North senatorial and Akwa-Ibom North West districts primaries

Festus Okoye, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, made the declaration at the weekend in a statement.

Sunday Tribune checks revealed that the INEC stance was on the heels of allegations of compromise levelled against the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Akwa-Ibom, Mike Igini by the APC South-South leadership.

Further checks revealed that INEC also declared vacant the seat for Yobe North senatorial district currently occupied by President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan.

Okoye in the statement noted that by virtue of provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, INEC reserves the mandate to “monitor the organization and operation of political parties, including their finances, conventions, congresses and party primaries.

“In line with its constitutional and legal obligations, the Commission deployed monitors to the various constituencies and received reports of such exercise. In relation to the primaries for the Akwa Ibom North West and Yobe North Senatorial Districts, the Commission stands by the monitoring reports received from our State offices.

“For this reason, the Commission did not publish the personal particulars of any candidate for the two constituencies at variance with the State reports. Right now, the Commission is funtus officio in the two cases.

“Aggrieved parties are at liberty to approach the Federal High Court and seek redress as provided in section 285 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and sections 29(5) and 84(14) of the Electoral Act, 2022.”

The statement further reads in part:” On the issuance of Certified True Copies (CTCs) of documents, staff of the Commission have been working hard, including weekends, to meet the deluge of requests received.

“As at Friday 8th July 2022, the Commission has processed 433 requests involving the certification of One million, Six Hundred and Sixty-Two Thousand, Seven Hundred and Seventy-Six (1,662,776) pages of documents. Many of them are awaiting collection at the INEC Headquarters by some of the same applicants complaining of delay in the issuance of the CTCs.

“Section 29 (4) of the Electoral Act provides that any person may apply to the Commission for a copy of nomination form, affidavit, and any other document submitted by a candidate at an election and the Commission shall, upon payment of a prescribed fee, issue such person with a certified copy of the document within 14 days. Persons applying for CTC of documents should endeavour to act timely and within the ambit of the law.

“The Commission will continue to uphold the integrity of the electoral process, including the deepening of the deployment of technology to enhance the credibility of elections.”