The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned political parties against violating its guidelines on the 2023 general election.

INEC stated that it would not hesitate to sanction any political party which violates the provisions of the Electoral Act in the conduct of the party’s primaries.

The electoral body made this known via statement issued by the INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye.

The statement was titled, ‘Adherence to the 2023 general election timetable and schedule of activities by political parties’.

INEC stressed that political parties must adhere strictly to the principles of internal democracy, drawing from their constitutions, guidelines, the Electoral Act and other Regulations and Guidelines issued by the Commission.

It added that candidates for the 1,491 constituencies for which elections will be conducted in 2023 must emerge from democratic, transparent and valid primaries, in line with the provisions of Sections 29 and 84 of the Electoral Act.

The statement partly read: “The Commission wishes to reiterate that parties must adhere strictly to the principles of internal democracy, drawing from their constitutions, guidelines, the Electoral Act and other Regulations and Guidelines issued by the Commission.

“Their candidates for the 1,491 constituencies for which elections will be conducted in 2023 must emerge from democratic, transparent and valid primaries, in line with the provisions of Sections 29 and 84 of the Electoral Act, 2022.

“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.

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“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.

“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.

Political parties are enjoined to avoid acrimonious primaries that could result in unnecessary litigations that may lead to failure to nominate and field candidates for elections in some constituencies,” Okoye stated.

The Commission noted that since it released the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 general election, two out of the 14 activities in the timetable have been successfully accomplished.

It stated that the two activities are Notice of Election and nomination forms for political parties which have been published on the Commission’s website

INEC has scheduled Presidential and National Assembly elections for Saturday, February 25, 2023, while the Governorship and State Assembly elections have been slated to hold on Saturday, March 11, 2023.

The Star