The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reversed itself by permitting political parties to resume campaigns ahead of the presidential and national assembly elections that were shifted from February 16 to February 23, 2019.
The commission’s chairman, Prof. Yakubu had earlier stated that there was no more room for political campaign or collection of permanent voters’ cards despite postponement of the election by one week.
But a statement by the commission’s national commissioner and chairman, information and voter education committee, Mr. Festus Okoye, said INEC backed down on the earlier decision after reviewing its preparations for the elections, as well as consulting with political parties.
He said the campaigns will end officially by midnight on Thursday, February 21, 2019.
“After consultations with political parties, the Commission has approved that campaigns by parties and candidates can resume forthwith and end by midnight of Thursday, 21st February, 2019.
“Media organisations are at liberty to accept, publish, broadcast and circulate campaign materials up till midnight of Thursday, 21st February, 2019. Political parties and their candidates are enjoined to abide by the extant laws governing campaigns.”
“The Commission is focusing on the elections to be held on 23rd February and 9th March to ensure that they are free, fair and credible. We urge all Nigerians to participate fully in the elections, notwithstanding the disappointment,” said Okoye.
It would be recalled that the parties had vehemently opposed INEC and vowed to resume electioneering ahead of the exercise on Saturday.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had, in statement by its national publicity secretary and director, media and publicity of its presidential campaign organization, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan stated that INEC erred in its judgement by telling political parties not to campaign anymore.
Ologbondiyan said the party consulted widely before deciding to go ahead with their campaign.
“The PDP, after due consideration of the provision of the Electoral Act, is set to reopen its open campaigns consequent upon the postponement of presidential and National Assembly elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from the earlier scheduled date of February 16 to February 23, 2019.
“The party rejects the wrongful administrative prohibition of open campaigns by INEC, holding that such administrative pronouncement was erroneous, directly in conflict with the provision of the Electoral Act and is not backed by any other law in our country.
“Our position is predicated on the clear provision of section 99 (1) of the Electoral Act which stipulated that “for the purposes of this Act, the period of campaigning in public by every political party shall commence 90 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day”.
“The clear import of this provision, in the current situation, is that given the postponement of the election to February 23, 2019, the 24 hours requirement for closure of all public campaigning falls at midnight of February 21.
“The PDP reminds INEC that whenever its administrative pronouncement conflicts with the Electoral Act, such administrative pronouncement must bow before the law. The party charges INEC to be appropriately guided while directing its members to await further directives ahead of its reopening of campaigns,” the PDP spokesman said in the statement,” he said.
Similarly, the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, said it was impossible for the party to stop campaigns a week before the election.
He said campaigns would only be suspended 24 hours to an election stressing that “every Nigerian is aware of the law.”
“INEC cannot go contrary to what the law says. Everyone knows that campaigns can only be suspended 24 hours to an election, I will continue with campaigns on Sunday because if we don’t campaign, people will not come out and vote.
“We will tell the people what happened has happened. Let them come out and vote for the president. For one week, if we didn’t talk people will forget, we will campaign,” the party chairman said.
Similarly, Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has directed all members in the coalition to return to recommence campaigns
Its spokesman, Mr. Imo Ugochinyere said campaigns would end by midnight of Thursday, February 21, 2019.
He said Section 99(1) of the Electoral Act provides that public campaigns shall end 24 hours prior to the day of elections.
“It is therefore wrong to expect that political parties will stop campaigns on 14th February for Polls that will open on 23rd February”, it reads.
“It is unlawful and statutorily wrong to curtail the clear intendment of this Section of the Electoral Act which is clear and unambiguous.
“Campaigning until 24 hours prior to the day of polling is a statutory right of parties and cannot be taken away, curtailed or abridged by any executive fiat. INEC cannot on its own accord limit the period of campaigns as it is regulated by law.
“Member parties are hereby directed to continue campaigns from today and focus on voter remobilization and ensure that our candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, is elected and declared winner of the presidential election,” he said.
