From Juliana Taiwo- Obalonye, Abuja
The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) has described as worrisome, the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC’s) decision to extend the deadline for the conduct of primary elections and submission of the list of nominated candidates for the 2023 general elections by six days.
INEC had on Friday announced the extension of the deadline by six days, from June 4th to 9th of June 2022, with the All Progressives Congress (APC) postponing its presidential primary election earlier scheduled for May 29-30 to June 6-8.
TMG’s Chairman, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, in a statement lamented the extension noting that the group received the news with great worries, and concerns.
The group expressed sad- ness that at a time when Nigerians were beginning to have confidence in the electoral umpire, some powerful forces were trying to undermine and pressurise it to do their biddings.
“A lot of political parties have made efforts at conducting their primaries, and if the ruling party is still uncertain about the day to conduct its presidential primary elections that shouldn’t be the basis for the extension.”