The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Sunday, February 17, announced that it would continue with its presidential and National Assembly rallies following due consideration of the prvisions of the electoral act of the country.
The PDP also said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) erred in its prohibition directive concerning campaigns.
“The Peoples Democratic Party (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.
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“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,” a statement from Kola Ologbondiyan, said.
Legit.ng earlier reported that Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers called on the international community to continue to mount pressure on the federal government and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure the conduct of credible and peaceful elections across the country, including his state.
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In a statement personally signed by Wike on the postponement of the elections in Nigeria and obtained, the governor said on Sunday, February 17, the governor said that the original plan of the APC-led federal government was to isolate Rivers and truncate the elections in the state.
“We very much appreciate the international community and the various country missions, whose spontaneous outrage truncated their original plan to isolate and prevent Rivers state from participating in the general elections with all the other states of the country," he said.
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Source: Legit.ng
