Edo Guber: INEC Faults Sheriff’s Primary, Rules Out Attendance

The Independent National Electoral Commission
The Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) has faulted the proposed governorship
primaries of the Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff-led
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), disclosing that
it runs contrary of the Electoral Act and the
schedule of the timetable for the guber polls.
The commission also added that it has already
monitored a primary of the PDP which held last
week, as conducted by the Sen. Ahmed Markarfi-
led national caretaker committee, which
produced Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
The position of INEC, over the controversy
surrounding the PDP primaries in the face of the
leadership tussle within the PDP, was disclosed
by the deputy director of voter education and
publicity, Nick Dazang.
Recall that Sheriff, following the emergence of
Pastor Ize-Iyamu, had scheduled his own
primaries in the state for June 29, this
Wednesday.
Sheriff who declared the emergence of Pastor
Ize-Iyamu as illegal, also inaugurated a nine-man
gubernatorial primaries committee which has
Hope Uzodinma as chairman and former
presidential aide, Ahmed Gulak, as secretary. He
said three aspirants have already picked forms.
But according to Dazang “with regards to
monitoring and observation, INEC is yet to take
a position as whether to send people to monitor
it or not.
“Secondly there is a judgement coming up on
the 4th of July with respect to the leadership
crisis in the PDP. I think it is an appeal court
judgement or so. So we are awaiting the
judgement to give us a clear idea of what to do.
“But like I said earlier on, normally if you want to
hold primaries, statutorily a party is supposed to
serve INEC 21 days notice.
“Thirdly if you look at the schedules and
activities of the Edo primaries election, the
period for primaries is from 2nd June to 4th
July.”
Dazang further explained that “INEC has already
monitored the primaries of the APC and the
PDP. If any one is giving INEC notice of any
primaries, by the electoral act, that notice
should be for 21 days.
“I understand that one of the factional leaders
wrote us to say he will do primaries on
Wednesday, but the Electoral Act says you must
serve INeC 21 days notice. So I cannot see how
possible it is for someone to serve us a notice
and within a week and two, we conduct
primaries.
“But What I am saying is that INEC has
monitored primaries APC and PDP primaries and
I am not aware that it would monitor any other
PDP primary. But all the same I will find out, if
INEC will do that I will call you back.”