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It is commendable that political parties have commenced the conduct of primary election for the nomination of candidates for the 2023 general election in line with the guidelines by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). INEC had on February 26 released the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2023 general election in line with the Electoral Act 2022 and provided detailed activities, including the conduct of primaries, nomination of candidates by political parties and other activities leading to the Presidential and National Assembly elections, slated for February 25, 2023 as well as the Governorship and State Assembly elections on March 11, 2023.
Despite the pressure from different quarters for altering the schedule, the electoral umpire has insisted on parties adhering strictly with the April 4 to June 3, 2022 timeline for the conduct of primary election for the nomination of candidates.
The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) started the process on Sunday, May 22, with House of Assembly and House of Representatives primaries, while the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), followed suit, later. The presidential primary will mark the climax, with the PDP filing out on May 28 and 29, while APC takes centre stage holding its own on May 30 and 31. Barring President Muhammadu Buhari assenting to the Electoral Act 2022 Amendment Bill before him, only 2,340 ad-hoc delegates will be participating at each of the presidential conventions.
This is because the current Electoral Act 2022 (as amended) does not provide a role for statutory delegates during the convention. Statutory or “super” delegates include elected councillors, elected local government chairmen and their deputies, political party chairmen in all the 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), state and federal lawmakers, governors and their deputies, president and vice president, political parties’ national working committee members, state party chairmen and secretaries.
The ad-hoc delegates will be drawn three from each of the 774 local government areas in the country and six area councils of the federal capital, Abuja. We urge the political parties to keep to the deadline, knowing full well that where a political party fails to comply with the stipulated guidelines in the conduct of its primaries, its candidate shall not be included in the election for the particular position. With the processes on the way, the onus is on the political parties to hold credible and transparent primaries. The entire exercise is expected to be devoid of rancour. Let them avoid acrimonious primaries that could result in unnecessary litigations that may lead to failure to nominate and field candidates for elections in some constituencies.
We enjoin parties to adhere strictly to the principles of internal democracy, drawing from their constitutions, the Electoral Act and other regulations and guidelines issued by the INEC. To the party leaders, we advise that there should be no attempt to impose any particular aspirant on the party. They must ensure a transparent, free and fair primary election. There should be a level playing field for all the candidates. The aspirants should comport themselves and avoid violence and other electoral infractions like thuggery and vote buying.
The delegates should abide by the rules of the game and refrain from anything that will impinge on the integrity of the primaries. They should vote according to their conscience, knowing that any mistake in the exercise will not augur well for the general poll. They should put the country first before any other consideration. INEC must monitor the primaries effectively and must be ready to sanction any party that contravenes the extant electoral laws.
It is good that the Commission, as required by the law, has expressed its readiness to monitor the primaries of each political party that provides it with the required legal notice in line with Sections 82 (1) and (5) of the Electoral Act. INEC has also warned that failure of a political party to notify it of any convention or congress convened for the purpose of nominating candidates for any of the elective offices specified in the Act shall render the convention or congress invalid. We ask the commission not to waver on this but insist on the parties doing the right thing.
Nigerians expect smooth primary elections that will usher in credible candidates for the 2023 elections. The party primary election is a litmus test on the 2023 elections. Getting it right at the primaries will ensure that we will get it right during the general election. Nigerians will expect no less from the parties than credible and transparent primary elections. After 23 years of uninterrupted democratic rule, it is time for Nigeria’s democracy to begin to be consolidated. Let all the parties and aspirants abide by the stipulated rules.
