The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, says two political parties, the African Action Congress, AAC and New Nigeria Peoples Party NNPP, are yet to upload a single nomination of their candidates for Governorship, Deputy Governorship and State Assembly elections on the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal, ICNP.
This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen on Wednesday, by INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
Okoye however says the Commission has processed 6,995 nomination forms, EC9 uploaded by 16 out of 18 political parties for the constituencies where they intend to sponsor candidates.
He therefore reminds all political parties that they have three days left to upload their list of candidates to the ICNP on or before Friday, July 15, 2022. The statement added that the portal will automatically shut down at 6.00pm on that date.
Meanwhile, Okoye said the Commission has continuously responded to requests for the issuance of Certified True Copies, CTCs, of documents mainly arising from the conduct of party congresses, primaries and nomination of candidates.
also read: INEC announces continuation of continuous voter registration
The number of requests processed has now risen to 1,662,987 pages of documents, noting that in spite of the Commission’s effort, 147 out of 476 requests processed as at Wednesday involving 5,646 pages are yet to be collected by applicants.
The Commission appealed to prospective litigants to come forward and collect the certifed copies of the documents.
And following the announcement by INEC that the Rabiu Kwankwaso led NNPP and Omoyele Sowore’s AAC are the only two political parties out of the 18 yet to upload the names of their candidates on the Commission’s portal, the two parties have reacted.
Speaking to AIT.live on telephone, Sowore denied INEC’s claim, saying the party had uploaded some names on the Commission’s portal and further explained that the delay in the submission was as a result of the litigation to resolve the leadership crisis rocking the party in the past.
Also responding to the electoral umpire’s announcement, NNPP spokesperson, Agbo Major said the party had concluded arrangement to begin the uploading of candidates’ names on the Commission’s portal on Wednesday evening and expected to finish up on Thursday to beat the Friday deadline.
The two political parties have urged INEC to ensure that the electoral processes are properly carried out in line with the new 2022 Electoral Act.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
