The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it stands by the reports received from its state offices in relation to party primaries for the Akwa Ibom North West and Yobe North Senatorial Districts.
The commission stated this in a statement by Mr Festus Okoye, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, in Abuja on Saturday.
INEC had, after the conduct of party primaries, confirmed Bashir Machina as the 2023 candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) for Yobe North senatorial district, insisting that Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, did not participate in the exercise.
In Akwa Ibom North West, INEC confirmed retired Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) of Police, Udom Ekpoudom, as the candidate and not former Minister of Niger Delta, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
Akpabio also governed the South-South state from 2007 to 2015.
Okoye, in the statement, said that the attention of the commission had been drawn to speculations circulating online on the outcome of some of the recent primaries conducted by political parties and related issues.
He said that in particular, the allegations intended to impugn the integrity of the commission in respect of the Akwa Ibom North West and Yobe North Senatorial Districts respectively.
“To set the record straight, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria mandates the commission to monitor the organisation and operation of political parties, including their finances, conventions, congresses and party primaries.
“In line with its constitutional and legal obligations, the commission deployed monitors to the various constituencies and received reports of such exercise.
“In relation to the primaries for the Akwa Ibom North West and Yobe North Senatorial Districts, the commission stands by the monitoring reports received from our state offices.
“For this reason, the commission did not publish the personal particulars of any candidate for the two constituencies at variance with the state reports.
“Right now, the commission is funtus officio in the two cases,” he said.
Okoye added that aggrieved parties were at liberty to approach the Federal High Court and seek redress as provided in Section 285 of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act, 2022
On the issuance of Certified True Copies (CTCs) of documents, he said members of staff of the commission had been working hard, including weekends, to meet the deluge of requests received.
He said that as at Friday, the commission had processed 433 requests involving the certification 1,662,776 pages of documents.
The commissioner said that many of the processed CTCs were awaiting collection at the INEC Headquarters by some of the same applicants complaining of delay in its issuance.
“Section 29 (4) of the Electoral Act provides that any person may apply to the commission for a copy of nomination form, affidavit, and any other document submitted by a candidate at an election.
“The Commission shall, upon payment of a prescribed fee, issue such person with a certified copy of document within 14 days.
“Persons applying for CTC of documents should endeavour to act timely and within the ambit of the law,“he said.
Okoye said that INEC would continue to uphold the integrity of the electoral process, including the deepening of the deployment of technology to enhance the credibility of elections.
