Some civil society organisations, (CSO), Civil Society Partners on Electoral Reform, have said that Party direct primaries would not impose any additional burden on the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), beyond what the constitution has stipulated.
The CSO, in an issued statement issued yesterday, in Abuja, by the Executive Director, ‘Adopt A Goal for Development Initiative’, Ariyo-Dare Atoye, and endorsed by other CSOs: ‘Centre for Liberty’, ‘Raising New Voices’, ‘Youth and Students Advocates for Development Initiative, (YSAD); NESSACTION; ‘The Nigerian Alliance’; ‘The Art and Civics Table‘ and ‘Speak Out Africa Initiative’, urged INEC to be guided by the Constitution.
They also described President Muhammadu Buhari’s letter to INEC seeking the Commission’s advice and clarification on the contentious amendments as a welcome development.
The statement urged the political parties to make a success of the direct primaries and moderate it with acceptable guidelines. It also called on them to borrow a leaf from the electoral body by ensuring that party primaries for 2023 are conducted on two separate dates.
“We, however, concede that after testing the exclusive use of direct primaries in the coming governorship primaries in Ekiti and Osun states, the process could be re-evaluated to assess the impacts and challenges”, the statement added.
