INEC Urges CSOs to Monitor Party Primaries for Ondo Poll

By Milcah Tanimu

Ahead of the Ondo State governorship election, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has called on Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to actively engage with political parties and observe their primaries.

Yakubu made this call during the first quarterly consultative meeting with CSOs in Abuja on Wednesday. He emphasized the need for CSOs to monitor the primaries of political parties participating in the Ondo governorship election, which are set to commence in the next two weeks. Sixteen political parties have indicated their interest in participating in the election.

The INEC Chairman urged CSOs to deploy observers to the main election conducted by the commission and to engage with political parties during their primaries. He emphasized that such engagement would strengthen advocacy for inclusivity, particularly for under-represented groups such as women, youths, and Persons with Disabilities at the National and State levels.

Regarding the Edo governorship poll, Yakubu expressed concerns that only eight out of 18 political parties had uploaded the particulars of their candidates to the INEC portal, with only four days left until the deadline.

He reminded political parties of the deadline of March 24, 2024, for uploading the list and personal particulars of their candidates to the INEC portal. Failure to meet this deadline would result in the portal automatically shutting down at 6 pm on March 24, 2024. The commission plans to publish the personal particulars of the candidates on March 31, 2024, for public scrutiny.

Yakubu also warned that the commission would enforce a policy of “No Observation Report, No Accreditation” for defaulters who failed to submit their observation reports. He emphasized the importance of submitting observation reports as a condition for eligibility to observe future elections.

The Edo State governorship election is scheduled for September 21, 2024, while the Ondo State governorship election will take place on November 16, 2024.

Yakubu previously expressed frustration over the rancorous primary elections in various political parties ahead of the Edo State governorship poll. He called on political parties to adhere strictly to their proposed dates and modes of primaries to avoid disruption.