Nigeria’s two main political parties have vowed to proceed with their campaigns despite a directive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Top officials of the governing All Progressive Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said this in separate interviews with the BBC Hausa Service.
INEC announced the postponement of Saturday’s presidential and parliamentary elections to next week,
Following the postponement, there had been questions and concerns on campaigns, with many wondering if it would continue or not.
Legally, campaigns are to be wrapped up 24 hours to the elections. Hence, many had argued that since the election date was rescheduled, campaigns should also continue till 24 hours to the new date.
However, INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, at a press conference on Saturday said campaigns remain closed.
While speaking on INEC’s announcement, the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, said it is impossible for his party to stop campaigns a week before the election.
He said election guidelines clearly state that all campaigns be suspended 24 hours to an election. He said everyone is aware of the law, hence, his party will continue campaigning on Sunday.
“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.
In his reaction, a campaign director of the Atiku Abubakar campaign organisation, Rabiu Kwankwaso, said since the election has been postponed, parties and candidates should be allowed to continue with campaigns.
He advised INEC to ensure the elections are not postponed again.
“All the stakeholders including INEC and the international observers are not happy with the postponement, for whatever reason they have postponed the election, and I hope that they will not do that again,” Mr Kwankwaso said.
“From now to one week, there is no reason we will suspend the campaign because the law clearly states that campaigns should be suspended 24 hours to an election.
“Nobody ordered them to postpone the election. Now that they postponed the election, we will have the chance to go and campaign,” the Kano PDP senator said.
… commission returns electoral materials in Kwara
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has returned sensitive and non-sensitive electoral materials in Kwara State meant for the conduct of the presidential and national assembly elections to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
The materials from 10 local government areas of Kwara State have since arrived the CBN accompanied by the Electoral officers and heavy security personnel.
Findings revealed that materials from Asa, Ilorin West, Ilorin East, Ilorin South, Isin, Ekiti, Moro, Ifelodun, Oyun and Irepodun local government areas have been deposited for safety.
Other local government areas whose materials are still on the way are; Patigi, Edu, Kaiama, Offa, Baruten and Oke-Ero.
In an interview with the journalists, the INEC Resident Electoral Officer, (REC) in Kwara, Malam Attahiru Madami, said that the materials shall be collected from the CBN on Friday 22, 2019 and be redistributed across the State ahead of Saturday, the rescheduled date.
He, however, urged Kwarans to be calm and not be discouraged by the unfortunate situation adding that, “God has reasons for everything that had happened. Kwara was ready for the polls but some states still had some delays which eventually led to the postponement.”
..says 1.4m registered voters In Kwara
Ahead of Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Kwara State, has said that a total number of 1,407,400 are registered voters in the state.
INEC added that out of this 1,149,969 that have collected their permanent voter’s cards (PVCs), there is a balance of 257,431.
Speaking with journalists in Ilorin on Friday, state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Garba Madami, said that the balance of the PVCs had been forwarded to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for safe keep.
Mallam Madami revealed that the commission had recruited 11,992 as ad-hoc staff for the exercise, noting that they had all been trained and deployed accordingly.
All materials sensitive and non-sensitive have been dispatched to all the local government area offices. The last consignments of sensitive materials are leaving for the field.
“I must emphasize also, therefore, that all vehicular needs of each local government area have been met. Also, motorbikes and boat requirements for difficult terrains have been adequately met. Conveyance of men and women materials has been commenced with no hitch.
“A total of 2,887 smart readers have been upgraded, fully charged and deployed to the fields with necessary contingency. A total of 1,827 local and international observers have been accredited.”
The INEC commissioner noted that over 200 media men applied for accreditation, but 109 got accredited.
“I must state here and categorically too that ballot papers have been dispatched in the full glare of political party agents, security agencies and media practitioners”, he said.
Mallam Madani added that “by and large, I can say without mincing words that we are ready for the elections. I, therefore, used this medium to call on all eligible voters to turn out en masse to cast their votes without any fear of intimidation. The security agencies who have been adequately trained have promised they would keep the voting areas safe.”
He urged the political actors to play the game according to the rule and “be reminded that there are lots of dos and don’ts which must be religiously observed as the law will catch up with anyone trying to flout the laws.”
