The Independent National Electoral Commission has said that the Peoples Democratic Party in Abia State has 14 days within which to conduct fresh primaries to elect a replacement for its governorship candidate, Prof. Uchenna Ikonne, who died on Wednesday.
National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, revealed this.
In interviews he granted told Daily Sun and Trust TV, Okoyesaid the position of the law is that if a candidate dies with enough room before the election, the party has 14 days within which to conduct fresh primaries and 21 days to submit the name of the winner to INEC.
He said in a situation where there wasn’t enough time for this but the election was yet to commence, INEC by law can postpone it and conduct a fresh one thereafter.
In a situation where voting had commenced, he said the running mate automatically becomes the candidate.
Okoye said: “If the candidate dies when polls have commenced, Section 34(3)(b) of the Act provides that the running mate shall continue with the election and nominate a new running mate.
“Section 33 of the Electoral Act, 2022 is clear, unambiguous, and unequivocal that a political party shall not be allowed to change or substitute its candidate whose name has been submitted to the commission under Section 29 of the Electoral Act except in the case of death or withdrawal.”
