The deadline for holding primary elections and submitting the names of party flag bearers has been extended to June 3 by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The commission, which had previously stated that it would not tamper with the election schedule for 2023, is said to have caved in to pressure from some political parties by extending the deadline by one week.

At a meeting with the commission in Abuja, the leadership of the 18 political parties represented by the Inter-Party Advisory Council restructured their demand and requested that the deadline be pushed back.

IPAC had previously requested a two-month extension, which the commission denied.

The commission stressed that this extension does not apply to previously held primary elections.

In a statement conveying the adjustment, INEC Information and Voter Education Committee chairman, Mr Festus Okoye, advises parties to ensure that primaries are free of rancour in order to meet the timelines for the remaining activities embodied in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election.