2019: INEC raises alarm

The Independent National Electoral Commission has warned that it will not tolerate any breach of the electoral laws and programme.

The warning came on the heels of the discovery of underage nominations made by some political parties, thereby running foul of the electoral law, it was learnt.

Political parties have till midnight today for the substitution or replacement of candidates ahead of  2019  elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who disclosed this yesterday in Abuja at a capacity building for journalists, said  the commission had religiously followed the timelines and had so far executed seven of its 14 scheduled activities.

He said: “In the next 77 days, Nigerians will go to the polls to elect their representatives in government. Campaigns for Presidential and National Assembly elections started 12 days ago on  November 18. Campaigns for Governorship and State Assembly elections begin today, December 1. We can say that the 2019 general elections are truly around the corner. Let me once again seize this opportunity to reassure the country that INEC is ready and committed to free, fair and credible elections

“So far, INEC has successfully implemented seven out of the 14 activities strictly on schedule, including the conduct of party primaries for all elections and the processes of nomination of candidates. We did not, and will never tolerate any breach of the strict timelines provided for in the timetable for the elections.”

He revealed that at the end of the period for the substitution and withdrawal of candidates for the presidential election, a total of 73 political parties had filed their nominations.

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On the nomination of candidates below the stipulated ages, he said “ it runs contrary to every existing law which stipulates 35 years for persons vying for the positions of President and Vice President.

He said the attention of the political parties concerned had been drawn to the aberration.

”A few parties have nominated candidates below the mandatory age of 35 years for presidential and vice presidential candidates. We have drawn the attention of the parties concerned to the breach of the constitutional requirement ahead of the publication of the full list of presidential and vice presidential candidates for the 2019 general elections,” he said.

For National Assembly elections, he said a total of 1,848 candidates are vying for the 109 senatorial seats, while 4,635 candidates are for the House of Representatives.

As for state elections, a total of 1,068 candidates are contesting for 29 governorship positions, while work is still going on for the 991 states assemblies as well as the 68 area council chairmen and counsellors for the Federal Capital Territory.