LG Polls: KWASIEC insists on supervision of party primaries

By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin

Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWASIEC) has said it must involved in the primaries of the political parties ahead of the local government elections.

The election body threatened to invalidate results of primaries its officials do not supervise.

Chairman of the Commission, Baba Okanla, made this known in a statement on Friday in Ilorin.

“Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission, principal authority responsible overseeing fair and transparent elections in Kwara State, today announced a new policy affecting all political parties’ primary elections. Effective immediately, any political party that fails to involve KWSIEC in their primary election process will have their primary results invalidated”, said the statement.

According to the statement, the decision comes as part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring the integrity and transparency of the electoral process.

It added that the involvement of the state Electoral Commission is crucial for maintaining public trust and upholding democratic principles.

The statement stated other key points of the new policy as:

Mandatory Involvement: All political parties must involve the KWSIEC in their primary elections. This includes notifying the body of the primary election dates, procedures, and any changes to the election process.

Supervision and Monitoring: The Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission will supervise and monitor all primary elections to ensure they are conducted fairly and transparently. This includes the presence of official observers at voting sites and the implementation of standardized election procedures.

Compliance and Validation:Failure to comply with these requirements will result in the primary election results being deemed invalid. The State Electoral Body will not recognize or accept any primary results from parties that do not adhere to this policy.