INEC concerned about court decisions on the eve of elections in Bayelsa, Kogi, and Imo

“The reprinting of the materials in compliance with court orders within a short period of time is not only expensive but the management of the process very challenging.”

On the eve of the November 2023 off-cycle elections in the states of Bayelsa, Kogi, and Imo, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is concerned about the pre-election court rulings.

During a meeting with stakeholders on Tuesday in Abuja, INEC National Chairman Mahmood Yakubu revealed this.

The INEC Chairman said, “On the issue of candidature, the Commission is concerned about the spate of recent judgements and orders of the court in respect to the nomination, substitution, or disqualification of candidates after all the sensitive materials have been printed.”

““The reproduction of the papers in accordance with court orders within a short period of time is not only costly, but the administration of the process is quite complex. Although the Commission has already released the final list of candidates for the three States, four subsequent court orders have prompted us to reassess the list.

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“The updated list of parties and candidates on our website reflects these revisions. The affected candidates’ or their political parties’ pending appeals are not, however, affected by this ruling.

Prior to the elections on November 11, the INEC president expressed concern about security issues in the states.

The Commission reiterates its concern about the recent wave of violence in the three States involving parties and candidates as election campaigns continue to heat up. As party leaders, I would want to remind you that only a peaceful environment can allow for free and fair elections.

“Elections involve human beings as voters, election officials, observers, and the media, whose safety is of utmost importance to us. The political parties, acting individually or jointly through the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), have a responsibility to urge their members, candidates, and supporters to maintain peace during the campaign rallies and procession, even though we will continue to cooperate with the security agencies in this regard. I request that you make a similar plea to them on election day and beyond.