The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), says it will not fund party primaries, whether direct or indirect.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, disclosed this yesterday, when he met with members of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Appropriation, in Abuja.
The Commussion said it has very little role to play in the conduct of direct primaries by political parties for selecting their candidates for elections.
The Chairman of the committee, Mukhtar Batera,
disclosed this when he addressed newsmen shortly after the closed door meeting in Abuja yesterday.
The meeting followed a resolution of the House mandating the Committee to interface with INEC on the cost implication of direct primaries by political parties as contained in the 2021 Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
Batera said that the INEC Boss told the lawmakers that the conduct and funding of primaries were basically the function of the political parties and not the umpire.
According to Batera, the committee discussed the INEC budget and the cost implications of direct primaries on the Commission.
Batera quoted Prof. Mahmood as saying that INEC was not interested in evaluating the cost of primaries because it was not part of its functions.
He further stated that INEC’s role in the process of primaries is minimal because political parties are in charge.
