INEC To Meet Parties Over Electoral Act Violation, Attacks On Opponents

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has summoned leaders of political parties over the spate of violence that has marred campaigns for the 2023 general elections.

The election umpire will be meeting with critical party stakeholders next week to discuss the troubling situation.

The INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at the training of master trainers on election technology for the 2023 general elections.

Yakubu averred that the clashes between opposing parties and their supporters during the ongoing campaigns across the country are worrisome.

Yakubu’s alarm is coming barely three weeks after the signing of the peace accord by political parties and their presidential candidates, championed by the National Peace Committee (NPC).

There have been recorded clashes between members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) and Labour Party (LP) in some states.

“Even as the commission is working hard to ensure a credible process in the forthcoming elections, reports of clashes among parties and their supporters in some states of the country during the ongoing electioneering campaign are worrisome.

“So too is the reported denial of access to public facilities for parties and candidates in some states of the federation. Let me caution parties and their supporters to focus on issues and steer clear of attacks on each other.

“These are not only violations of the Electoral Act 2022 but also negate the voluntary commitment by all political parties and candidates to the letter and spirit of the peace accord signed about three weeks ago under the auspices of the NPC,” Yakubu said.

He also warned that parties, candidates and their supporters should not, by acts of commission or omission, further complicate the prevailing security situation in the country.

“A peaceful electioneering campaign is critical to the conduct of peaceful and credible elections. The commission will continue to monitor the situation closely and will convene a meeting with leaders of political parties next week to discuss, among other issues, the imperative of peaceful campaigns and equal access to public facilities.

“In the same vein, the commission will also meet with the security agencies under the auspices of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) next week,” he said.