The All Progressives Congress (APC) has directed all political appointees interested in contesting the 2023 general elections to be ready to resign their positions in compliance with the new Electoral Act of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
APC equally dismissed the speculation that the national leadership of the party has fixed its presidential primaries for May 30.
APC National Publicity Secretary (NPS), Barr Felix Morka, gave the directive after the inagural meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) at the party’s secretariat on Wednesday in Abuja.
Responding to the question on the position of the party on the new Electoral Act, he simply said that; “everyone involved intends to comply fully with the intendment and letters of the Electoral Act.”
According to him; “The Ministers are members of the party. And the party is the ruling party. Now, both the Ministers, other appointees and the party’s leadership have excellent counsel and guidance. I am sure everyone involved intends to comply fully with the intendment and letters of the Electoral Act.”
Dismissing the trending date for the presidential primaries, Morka insisted that though the national leadership of the party deliberated on the timetable and schedule of activities, there is however no iota of truth on the date for the primaries in circulation.
Apart from the speculated date for the presidential primaries, the document in circulation also fixed the commencement for the sale of expression and nomination forms between Friday, April 22 and Saturday, May 7.
Other items contained in the party’s timetable and schedule of activities for the 2023 general elections, include primaries for State House of Assembly, Tuesday, May 17, 2022, Legislative Elections, comprising House of Representatives and Senate, Saturday, May 21, 2022, while governorship primaries comes up on Tuesday, May 24, 2022.
Asked whether the report was part of the resolution taken during the NWC meeting, Morka said: “today April 6, 2022, the NWC of the APC met and among other topics covered as you would probably expected, we discussed the program for our party’s primaries looking at the schedule of activities for the forthcoming elections. I will not be able to give you a run down of the details of that schedule because that is still in discussion.
“We are yet to conclude on a definite plan or timetable or schedule for our primaries. But, I can confirm that we did have that conversation today. We began it today. But we have not concluded or made any decision on it,” he said.
On whether he is denying the date of the presidential primary as been reported in some the media, he said: “I can confirm that we have discussions. But we have not made any decision yet. I am not aware of anything that is trending because we have not put out any information.
“We have not put up any information into the public space about the schedule of our primaries. But what I am confirming to you is that we had that discussion. And it is still in progress, as soon as the details are concluded, and a decision taken, you will be the first to see or hear about it
“As for the timetable and amount for the forms, I can assure you that very soon. I can confirm to you that very shortly the details and information will be made available to the public very shortly,” he emphasized.
