Less than 72 hours to the deadline set by the independent National Electoral Commission for the uploading to its portal of names of candidates for state elections holding in 2023, the African Action Congress and New Nigeria Peoples Party are yet to do so.
Its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, disclosed this.
In a statement on Wednesday giving update on the nomination of governorship and state assembly candidates for the 2023 general election and issuance of Certified True Copies of documents, the electoral commission said both parties were yet to upload a single candidate’s name.
The AAC has rights activist and Publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, as presidential candidate, while a former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, is the flag bearer of the NNPP for the presidency.
Okoye disclosed that so far, 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 for the state elections.
“However, two political parties, the African Action Congress (AAC) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), are yet to upload a single nomination to the portal,” Okoye revealed.
Consequently, INEC reminded all political parties that they have three days left to upload their list of candidates to the ICNP, adding that the deadline remained July 15, 2022.
“The portal will automatically shut down at 6.00pm on that date,” Okoye confirmed.
Meanwhile, INEC has responded to requests for the issuance of Certified True Copies of documents mainly arising from the conduct of party congresses, primaries and nomination of candidates.
The number of requests processed, the electoral body indicated, has now risen to 1,662,987 pages of documents.
It, however, lamented that despite the Commission’s frantic efforts, 147 out of 476 requests processed as at today involving 5,646 pages are yet to be collected by applicants.
The Commission has therefore appealed to prospective litigants to come forward and collect the CTC of the documents.
Recall that as provided in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election released by the Commission on February 26, 2022, all political parties that conducted valid primaries are required to nominate their candidates for Governorship, Deputy Governorship and State Assembly elections via the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal from July 1 to 15, 2022.