The Coalition of United Political Parties on Sunday asked member parties to shun the directive by the Independent National Electoral Commission and resume campaigns ahead of the Saturday’s presidential election. Chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, had during an interactive session with stakeholders.
in Abuja on Saturday said political parties could not resume campaigns despite the postponement of the presidential election earlier scheduled for February. Answering a question raised by a former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, who represented the National Chairman of the
Peoples Democratic Party at the session,
Yakubu had said since campaign for the election
ended last Thursday, parties could not resume
campaign again.
But CUPP, in a statement by its national
spokesman, Imo Ugochinyere, on Sunday said
Yakubu’s position was unconstitutional.
Ugochinyere said the nation’s Electoral Act
stipulated that shall end 24 hours prior to the
day of election.
He argued that since the presidential election
had been shifted to Saturday, political parties
are at liberty to resume campaign till midnight
on Thursday.
He, therefore, asked member parties to
resume campaigns from Sunday and mobilise
voters for the presidential candidate of the
Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku
Abubakar.
READ ALSO: I met president of Seychelles on
the street –DJ Humility
The statement read, “In view of the provisions
of the Section 99 of the Electoral Act, the over
51 member parties of the Coalition of United
Political Parties hereby direct all members to
return to the campaigns fields and
recommence campaigns and end by midnight
of Thursday, February 21, 2019 as required by
law.
“Section 99(1) of the Electoral Act provides that
public campaigns shall end 24 hours prior to
the day of polling. “It is, therefore, wrong to
expect that political parties will stop campaigns
on February 14 for polls that will open on
February 23. “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 (Sunday) and
focus on voter remobilisation and ensure that
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is elected and declared
winner of the presidential election.”
Share your thoughts