Ondo Guber Vote: INEC Boss Tasks CSOs to Closely Monitor Party Primaries

By Damola Emmanuel

As political parties prepare to choose their candidates for the November governorship poll in Ondo State, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Wednesday, told Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, to engage with the parties and monitor their primaries closely.

The INEC boss made the plea at the first quarterly consultative meeting with CSOs in the nation’s capital, Abuja.

Yakubu’s call also came barely 24 hours after he vented his spleen over the rancorous primaries held by various political parties in the countdown towards the gubernatorial election in Edo State.

In making the appeal to the CSOs to engage with the parties in the run-down to the primaries for the gubernatorial election in Ondo State, the INEC boss reasoned that it would help the CSOs to strengthen their advocacy for inclusion of under-represented groups in elective offices like women, youth, as well as persons with disability.

“For Ondo State,” Yakubu declared, “political parties will commence their primaries for the governorship election in the next two weeks. Sixteen political parties have indicated interest in participating in the election.

“I urge Civil Society Organisations to engage with political parties and observe their primaries just as you engage with INEC and deploy observers to the main election conducted by the commission.

“By doing so, you will strengthen your advocacy for inclusivity for groups such as women, youths, and Persons with Disability that are under-represented in elective offices at the National and State levels.”

On the Edo State gubernatorial vote holding in September, the INEC boss expressed dissatisfaction that only eight political parties had uploaded the requisite information about their candidates to the INEC portal just four days to the deadline.

Yakubu’s exact words: “For Edo State, 18 political parties conducted their primaries monitored by the commission. Going by the provision of the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the election, political parties have 20 days from March 4, 2024, to upload the list and personal particulars of their candidates to our dedicated web portal.

“Thereafter, the commission will publish the personal particulars of the candidates (Form EC9) on March 31, 2024, for public scrutiny as required by law.”

The INEC Chairman, therefore, warned that the commission would strictly implement its ‘No Observation Report, No Accreditation’ policy on accredited observers who default in submitting their observation reports to the electoral umpire.

“While many of you have submitted your reports,” Prof. Yakubu continued, “some accredited observers are yet to do so for the general elections, supplementary elections, off-cycle elections, bye-elections, and re-run elections.

“May I, therefore, seize this opportunity to remind those who are yet to submit their observation reports that it is mandatory to do so being one of the conditions for eligibility to observe future elections.

“Going forward, the Commission will operate strictly on the policy of “No Observation Report, No Accreditation.”

The Crest recalls that Edo State governorship election has been scheduled to hold on September 21, 2024, while the Ondo State gubernatorial poll holds on November 16, 2024.

Meanwhile, Prof Yakubu had, on Tuesday, expressed his commission’s frustration over the rancorous primaries held by various political parties in the countdown towards the gubernatorial election in Edo State.

He decried the disruptive implications of the situation, advising political parties to adhere strictly to the scheduled dates and modes of their primaries.