The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said seven political parties had yet to submit detailed schedules for their primary elections for the November 8 Anambra governorship election.
However, the commission disclosed that 12 of the 19 registered political parties had submitted detailed schedules ahead of the primary election between March 20 and April 10, 2025.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, who said this on Thursday, asked the remaining political parties to submit their schedule in earnest.
Olumekun urged political parties to adhere strictly to their proposed schedules as sudden changes to the dates, venues and modes of the primaries lead to avoidable demobilisation and remobilisation of INEC monitoring staff, disrupting its workflow.
„The Commission held its regular weekly meeting today, Thursday 6th March 2025. The Commission reviewed preparations for the forthcoming off-cycle Governorship election in Anambra State, scheduled for Saturday, 8th November 2025.
„The public may recall that in line with Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 provision, the Commission published the Notice of Election on 13th November 2024, over 360 days before the date fixed for the election. By providing the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the election, the primaries for nomination of candidates by Political Parties commence in the next two weeks, i.e., 20th March 2025, and end on 10th April 2025.
„So far, 12 out of the 19 registered Political Parties in the country have submitted the detailed schedules of their primaries. As agreed at our last consultative meeting with Political Parties held in January, doing so early would enable the Commission to plan for the effective monitoring of the primaries in line with the provision of Section 84 of the Electoral Act 2022. The seven parties that have yet to submit the required information are hereby reminded to do so in earnest.
„Furthermore, we urge Political Parties to adhere strictly to their proposed schedules. Sudden changes to the primaries‘ dates, venues and modes lead to avoidable demobilisation and remobilisation of our monitoring staff, disrupting the Commission‘s workflow. This also adds to the cost of monitoring primaries and the overall conduct of elections and electoral activities,“ he stated.
