In line with the provisions of the electoral act, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has set the dates for presidential primaries within the various parties between October 2nd and December 11th 2014 while campaigns for the election will commence on November 16th 2014.
The breakdown of the timetable of activities for the elections were contained in a document signed by INEC’s Secretary Mrs. Augusta Ogakwu.
ThisDay reports,
According to INEC, primary elections to fill positions within political parties ahead of 2015 general election will begin on October 2 and end on December 11, 2014, including resolution of disputes arising from the primaries.
Campaigns for presidential and National Assembly elections will commence on November 16, 2014 while campaigns for governorship and state houses of assembly will start on November 30, 2014.
The commission, however, said campaigns for presidential and National Assembly elections would end on February 12, 2015 while those of governorship and state houses of assembly would stop on February 26, 2015.
The commission had on Friday fixed February 14, 2015 for the conduct of presidential and National Assembly elections and February 28, 2015 for the governorship and state houses of assembly elections.
Run off election to the office of president or governor, if any, after the announcement of the result of the electionin accordance with the 1999 constitution as amended.
However, further breakdown of activities for the election revealled that publication of official register of voters for election will be done on January 13, 2015, while publication of list of nominated candidates for presidential and National Assembly elections will be done on January 13, 2015.
According to the commission, the last day for submission of nomination forms by political parties in the presidential and National Assembly elections is January 6, 2015, while for the governorship and state houses of assembly, its January 20, 2015.
The list of nominated candidates for governorship and state houses of assembly elections will be published on January 17, 2015.
Publication of notice of poll for all elections will be displayed on January 18, 2015.
The commission slated November 4-11, 2014 as date for collection of forms for all elections by political parties.
It fixed the last day for the submission of Forms CF001 and CF002 at the INEC headquarters for all elections for December 18, 2014 for the presidential and National Assembly elections while for governorship and state houses of assembly elections, it fixed December 25, 2014.
Also, the last day for the withdrawal by candidates/replacement of withdrawn candidates by political parties for presidential and National Assembly elections is December 30, 2015, while January 13 has been fixed for governorship and state houses of assembly elections.
Moreover, publication of personal particulars of candidates (CF001) for all elections are as follows: presidential and National Assembly-December 25, 2014; governorship and state houses of assembly elections- January 1, 2015.
Submission of names of party agents for the election to electoral officers of local government areas or area councils is fixed for January 29, 2015 for presidential and National Assembly election, while February 12, 2015 was fixed for governorship and state houses of assembly elections.
And for Ekiti state governorship election, INEC said political parties would start their campaigns on March 23.
It added that collection of forms for the election at its headquarters would be on April 1 while the last date for the conduct of party primaries, including resolution of disputes arising from the primaries would be April 14.
The last date for the submission of Forms CF001 and CF002 at INEC headquarters is fixed for April 21.
The commission will publish the personal particulars of candidates on April 28.
Meanwhile, more reactions have trailed the release of the timetable with the Peoples Democratic Party saying it will participate fully in the process.
