The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC is grappling with pre- election litigations ahead of the 2019 general elections sequel to acrimonious primaries conducted by political parties.
This is as INEC has been joined to 396 pending actions in various courts across the country, arising from the conduct of primaries and nomination of candidates by political parties.
The Commission has also received request for Certified True Copy (CTC) of documents of monitoring reports of party primaries and copies of particulars of candidates, and 52 petitions as well as protests from aggrieved party aspirants.
Mahmood Yakubu, INEC Chairman revealed this over the weekend in Abuja while declaring open the capacity building workshop for INEC Press Corps organized by the Electoral body in partnership with European Centre for Electoral Support, ECES.
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Yakubu who observed that INEC and the country have witnessed the most acrimonious party primaries in recent history said parties that failed to respect the democratic process in selecting candidates during primary elections lack the moral right to complain about secondary elections.
He announced that 73 political parties have fielded Presidential candidates at the end of the period for the substitution and withdrawal of candidates.
According to INEC Chairman, “a total of 1,848 candidates (1, 615 male and 233 female) are vying for 109 Senatorial Seats while 4, 635 candidates (4,066 male and 569 female) are competing for the 360 seats in the House of Representatives.
“As for the State elections, total of 1, 068 candidates (980 male and 88 female) are contesting for 29 Governorship positions with 805 male and 263 female Deputy Governorship candidates.”
Yakubu also disclosed that the INEC is working on the list of candidates nominated by political parties for the 991 State Assembly Constituencies as well as the 8 Area Councils Chairmen and Councillors for the Federal Capital Territory and full details will soon be published for public information in line with time table and schedule of activities for the 2019 general elections.
On the importance of the workshop, the Chairman said it will enhance the capacity of the INEC Press Corps in giving accurate reports of the processes, procedures and activities of the Commission for the next year’s polls, adding that the umpire body will always give unfettered access to media as a critical partner in the electoral process.
Rudolf Elbling, Project ECES stated that the workshop will be useful in the lead up to the 2019 general elections as participants will be equipped to provide the general public and critical stakeholders with more objective and fact based information about INEC actions, policies, processes and procedures.
Elbling assured that as INEC prepares for the 2019 general elections, ECES looks forward to forging enduring partnership, mutual collaboration and strategic engagements in order to strengthen democratic governance in Nigeria.
James Kwen, Abuja
