By Jude Opara

As Political Parties get set for their various Congresses and Primaries, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned that it will not condone the situation where their conducts will continue to be acrimonious and crisis ridden.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Barr.

Okoye added that INEC was statutorily mandated by law to monitor the affairs of the political parties, adding that the Commission had been dismayed by the orgy of violence that had characterised their activities lately.

“This is the season of political party congresses and conventions to elect their leaders at various levels of party organization and INEC is mandated by law to monitor them. These meetings constitute a very important aspect of the electoral process and democracy generally in Nigeria.

“The level of violence in some of the Congresses is making it extremely difficult for the Commission to exercise its statutory oversight responsibility enshrined in Sections 85 and 87 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended). In one such Congress in Kaduna recently, violence broke out leading to the destruction of the Commission’s ballot boxes.

“Political parties are reminded that they have a clear obligation to ensure that their Congresses and Conventions are orderly, democratic and in accordance with extant legal framework, their own constitutions and guidelines, as well as INEC’s regulations and guidelines.”

Okoye also warned that should the era of violence continue, INEC will invoke its powers and heavily sanction such political parties as well as the individuals involved.

“This Commission will not stand askance and watch party conventions and congresses degenerate into farcical rituals and violent fiascos that threaten lives and destroy property. For the avoidance of doubt, INEC will henceforth reconsider its involvement in these events, should they continue to put lives of members of the public and staff of the Commission at risk.

“Henceforth, there will be far-reaching consequences in any situation where party congresses and conventions degenerate into violence and destruction of INEC property.

“Apart from replacing such destroyed materials, parties may be blacklisted from the receipt of INEC materials for their activities in the future.

“The Commission may also withdraw its staff from monitoring such violent political party meetings, with the resultant non-recognition of their outcomes”, Okoye added.

The National Commissioner, therefore, warned that starting from the forthcoming primaries for the Anambra state governorship election and the Federal Capital Area Council election, political parties must stick to the respective timetable and schedule of activities given to them by the Commission.

“The Commission wishes to remind political parties of forthcoming primaries to select their candidates for upcoming elections and bye-elections, particularly those for the Anambra State Governorship election and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections. Parties must stick to the respective timetable and schedule of activities for these elections as released by the Commission, which have been communicated to them and are also available at the INEC website (www.inec.gov.ng).

“Parties must ensure that their primaries are peaceful and orderly. Above all, they must adhere strictly to the Electoral Act, INEC Regulations and Guidelines, as well as party constitutions and rules, which are domiciled with the Commission.

“Finally, in the conduct of their internal processes, political parties must hold themselves to the same standards they hold the Commission during elections namely, openness, fairness, adherence to rules and peaceful conduct”, he said.

He added that INEC remained deeply concerned about the acrimony and violence within parties, even as he frowned that now there are more suits in various courts of law arising from party congresses and primaries than from elections conducted by the Commission.