The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced its intention to launch an online portal for political parties to submit the details of their nominated candidates for the Edo governorship election on March 4.
This disclosure was made in a statement issued by Mr. Sam Olumekun, the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC, on Friday in Abuja.
Olumekun highlighted that following the February 24 deadline for the conduct of primaries for the election, INEC has allocated a 20-day window for political parties to upload the Personal Particulars (Form EC9) and Names/List of Nominated Candidates (Form EC9B) of their candidates on the portal.
The portal is scheduled to open at 9 a.m. on Monday, March 4, and will automatically close at 6 p.m. on Sunday, March 24. Access codes for the portal will be provided to the parties as of Friday, March 1.
“The Commission wishes to draw the attention of political parties that 20 days are enough to upload the nomination forms of only two candidates per party (government candidate and running mate). Therefore, there is no reason to request for an extension of time, and none will be granted beyond Sunday, March 24. Political parties should ensure strict compliance with the timelines,” Olumekun emphasized.
To facilitate smooth nominations, INEC plans to conduct refresher training for two liaison officers from each political party. This training is scheduled to take place from Friday, March 1, to March 4 at the INEC Media Centre located at the INEC Headquarters in Abuja. Additionally, the media center will serve as a help desk during the nomination period to assist political parties if needed.