The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Tuesday  issued  fresh warning to political parties against undermining its guidelines on the 2023 General Elections as  it would not tolerate any attempt by political parties to ignore constitutionally-allowed processes in the nomination of its candidates as they prepare for the primary elections.

So far, only two out of the 14 activities in INEC's  timetable have  been executed including  the publication of notice of elections in states and nomination forms on the commission’s official website.

Briefing the Press on preparations for the 2023 election, INEC spokesman stated as follows:

3.  As stipulated in Section 84 of the Electoral Act, all political parties have a period of 61 days, from April 4 till June 3, to present their flag bearers for presidential, governorship, state and national legislative seats in the coming election.

4. INEC has fixed February 25, 2023 for the presidential and national assembly elections, while the governorship and state assembly elections will hold on March 11.

5. INEC states that candidates for the “1,491 constituencies for which elections will be conducted must emerge from democratic, transparent and valid primaries, in line with the provisions of Sections 29 and 84 of the Electoral Act, 2022.”

The statement added: “Where a political party fails to comply with the provisions of the Act in the conduct of its primaries, its candidate shall not be included in the election for the particular position in issue.

6. “As required by law, the Commission shall monitor the primaries of each political party that provides the required legal notice in line with Sections 82 (1) and (5) of the Electoral Act. Failure of a political party to notify the Commission 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.

7. “Primaries must be conducted in the various constituencies as provided in Section 84 of the Electoral Act as it is a violation of the law to conduct primaries outside the constituencies for which parties are nominating candidates. The Commission will not monitor such primaries and their outcome will not be accepted.”