By Milcah Tanimu

Abuja, March 21, 2024

With just three days remaining until the March 24 deadline for candidate submissions for the September 21 Governorship Election in Edo State, eight out of the 18 political parties vying for participation have yet to submit their nominations through the dedicated portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

This revelation came from INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, during the inaugural quarterly consultative meeting with media organizations in Abuja on Thursday.

Yakubu emphasized INEC’s commitment to strict adherence to electoral timelines, stressing that there would be no extensions granted for parties failing to meet the deadline.

He stated, “For Edo State, 18 Political Parties conducted their primaries, monitored by the Commission. According to the Timetable for the election, Political Parties have 20 days from March 4, 2024, to upload the list and personal particulars of their candidates to our dedicated web portal. As of Thursday morning, 10 Parties have done so. We expect the other Parties to comply before the deadline of 6pm on Sunday, March 24, 2024, when the portal automatically shuts down.”

Yakubu further announced that on March 31, 2024, the Commission would publish the personal particulars of the candidates (Form EC9) as required by law, urging the media and the general public, particularly registered voters in Edo State, to scrutinize the bio-data and credentials of the candidates.

Regarding the upcoming Governorship election in Ondo State, Yakubu disclosed that political parties would commence their primaries in the next two weeks. He noted that 17 out of 19 Parties had expressed interest in participating and urged media organizations to cover the primaries with the same diligence and depth as they do for the main elections conducted by INEC.

Yakubu stressed the importance of party primaries, stating, “Doing so will go a long way to strengthen our democracy since only the products of the party primaries are ultimately placed on the ballot paper for citizens to vote for in the main election. Party primaries are as important as the main election conducted by INEC.”

He concluded by acknowledging the role of the media in improving service delivery to the electorate and ensuring the safety and security of journalists during elections. Yakubu urged media outlets to continue combating fake news and misleading narratives about the Commission and its activities.