The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) has faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for extending the deadline for party primaries ahead of the 2023 general elections.

The chairman of the group, Auwal Rafsanjani, who made this known in a statement on Saturday in Abuja, decried the extension from June 4 to June 9.

However, Mr Rafanjani commended INEC and security agencies for ensuring the smooth conduct of the party primaries across the country.

The group also warned politicians to desist from any form of financial inducements of delegates, which it said was equivalent to mortgaging the country’s future.

“We are appalled by the incidents of vote-buying and sundry financial inducements of the delegates in the ongoing political party primary.

“Delegates should note that they don’t have to go to the extent of mortgaging Nigeria’s future on the altar of ephemeral financial gratifications,” he said.

The TMG chairman urged them to think of Nigeria first before any other considerations.

He said that TMG’s “observers reported that aspirants’ agents were primarily involved in coordinating vote-buying for various persons seeking political offices, which was unfortunate.

“It should be noted that the influence of money in an election has far-reaching implications in Nigerian politics.

“This is because any politician that spends to be voted for will surely work towards recouping the money at the end of the day, and it is still the voters that will be at the receiving end,” he said.

Mr Rafsanjani further said the incident led to an alarming increase in the rate of foreign exchange, noting that the naira had reached N610 to a dollar.

He said the group would continue to monitor the electoral processes with a view to ascertaining the level of transparency and fairness as well as report the same to Nigerians in the build-up to the 2023 general elections. 

(NAN)