The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has caved in to pressure from some political parties and has extended the deadline for holding primary elections and submitting the names of party flag bearers to June 3 this year.
The commission, which had previously made it clear that it would not tamper with the election schedule for 2023, changed its mind after a meeting with the leadership of the 18 political parties represented by the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) today, May 27, in Abuja.
The Council restructured its request that the deadline be pushed back for at least two month, but ended up being granted just a week extension.
In a statement conveying the adjustment, INEC Information and Voter Education Committee chairman, Festus Okoye, advised parties to ensure that primaries are free of rancour in order to meet the timelines for the remaining activities embedded in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election.
