The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has warned its
personnel across the country to remain unbiased and apolitical or risk being punished.
INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, gave the warning on
Friday at the second regular quarterly consultative meeting with
Resident Electoral Commissioners at the commission’s headquarters in
Abuja.
His warning comes ahead of primary elections by various political
parties to elect their candidates for the offices of the president,
governors, and other various positions in the coming general polls.
He said INEC had released the timetable and schedule of activities for
the 2023 general elections a day after the Electoral Act, 2022 was signed
into law, and stated that the next activity under the timetable was the
conduct of party primaries by political parties, saying 14 parties have so
far submitted their notices and schedule of primaries to the commission.
Professor Yakubu also explained that by the provision of Section 77 of
the Electoral Act, political parties were required to maintain a
membership register in hard and soft copy, and to make such register
available to INEC not later than 30 days before the date fixed for
primaries, congresses, and conventions.
