Parties in last-minute rush to submit names to INEC

Political parties yesterday resorted to a last minute rush to beat the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deadline for the submission of list of candidates for the elections.

INEC scheduled the submission of parties’ candidates’ names for the Presidential and National Assembly between Oct. 10 and Oct. 18 and deadline for the Governorship and State Assemblies election on Nov. 2.

The International Conference Center (ICC) Abuja venue was a beehive  as many party leaders and representatives were just arriving at the venue at about 6:00 p.m.

To fast track the submission process, INEC grouped the political parties into seven teams, comprising 13 parties in each group.

Some of the parties’ representatives came into the venue with some of their forms to obtain tally, while still sorting other forms elsewhere, to beat the deadline.

Some were seen using torch lights at car park to sort their forms before submission.

While the deadline is fixed for Thursday, last political party to obtain INEC tally before 12 midnight would be allowed to submit its forms.

The Presidential candidate and National Chairman of the National Conscience Party (NCP), Dr Yunusa Tanko commended INEC for the arrangement.

Tanko, who was still waiting to submit with tally number 37

Eunice Atuejide, National Chairman, National Interest Party, also commended the process, saying INEC was not responsible for the rush.

Presidential Candidate of the Zenith Labour Party Dr. Olusegun Mimiko was at the venue with the party’s National Chairman Dan Nwanyanwu.

The party got tally 73 as at 5.30 p.m.

The National Chairman of the Advanced People’s Democratic Alliance, Mohammed Shittu, attributed the delay in submission to large size of country.

The National Chairman of the Young Progressives Party Bishop Amakiri who was still waiting to be called for submission of his party’s forms, said the delay was to make sure that everything was properly done to avoid unnecessary mistakes associated with rush.

The National Publicity Secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Alfa Mohammed, said that the party got tally number 78.