Bye-elections: Don’t Give Ticket To Highest Bidders, YIAGA Urges Parties

Ahead of the February 3, 2024 by-elections, advocacy organisation, YIAGA Africa yesterday cautioned parties not to hand over their nominations to the highest bidders, warning that Nigeria is gradually gravitating to a plutocratic state.

The organisation urged political parties to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 as they conduct primaries to field candidates across two Senatorial Districts, four Federal Constituencies, and three state constituencies spanning nine states of the Federation.

Executive secretary of YIAGA Africa, Samson Itodo, who stated this on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, urged the 19 political parties to obey their constitutions in producing candidates for the by-elections.

He also cautioned parties not to hand over their nominations to the highest bidders, warning that Nigeria is gradually gravitating to a plutocratic state with the tens and hundreds of millions of naira demanded from aspirants by parties for nomination forms.
Itodo said according to the Electoral Act 2022, parties should notify the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) 21 days before primaries.
He also said parties cannot change the venue and date of primaries without notifying INEC as this was inconsistent with the law.
He said if INEC does not witness primaries, they are null and void, stressing that the substitution of candidates by parties should comply with the law. “Political parties substitute candidates unlawfully,” Itodo said.

The YIAGA boss said Nigerians won’t take excuses from parties for the coming by-elections as they had enough time to study the Electoral Act and comply with its provisions.