INEC: We Have Capacity To Monitor Party Primaries

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced on Monday that it has the ability to oversee any sort of primary election, whether direct or indirect, that political parties may hold.Festus Okoye, the Commission’s National Commissioner in Responsibility of Information and Voter Education, told The Nation that the parties are in charge of organizing and conducting their primaries, while INEC’s role is to supervise them.He claimed that the commission has always done its job of monitoring political party behavior.“Political parties have a responsibility for the conduct of primaries. It is their responsibility to procure the venue for the primaries. They are responsible for the provision of security for their primaries.“They have responsibility for the printing of their ballot papers and provision of ballot boxes and cubicles.“It is their responsibility to decide whether they want to use the 8,809 electoral wards or the 774 local government areas for their primaries.“The task and responsibility of the Commission is minimal. Our responsibility is to monitor their primaries in accordance with the guidelines developed by the parties.“We have capacity to monitor direct and indirect primaries. We have done that in the past and we have the experience and capacity to continue to implement the intendment of the law.”