PDP rejects INEC’s directive, sets to resume campaigns

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says the administrative
prohibition of the resumption of political campaigns by the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) contravened the Electoral Law.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said this in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja.

It would be recalled that INEC had on Saturday shifted the dates for
the general elections a few hours to the opening of polling units across
the country, attributing the development to logistical challenges.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, while fielding questions at a
stakeholders meeting to explain the reasons for the postponement of the
polls, maintained that the deadline for the collection of PVCs and
election campaigns by political parties had passed going by the released
timetable.

Yakubu said that there was no more room for political campaigns or
collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in spite of the postponement
of Presidential and National Assembly elections by one week.

“Campaigns closed on Thursday, Feb. 14, and for the period that remains, campaigns remain closed,” Yakubu said.

Ologbondiyan, however, stated that after due consideration of the
provisions of the Electoral Act, the PDP concluded that the INEC
directive contravened the provisions of the law.

“PDP, after due consideration of the provisions of the Electoral Act,
is set to re-open its open campaigns consequent upon the postponement
of Presidential and National Assembly elections by INEC from the earlier
scheduled date of Feb. 16 to Feb. 23.

“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 Feb. 23, the 24 hours
requirement for closure of all public campaigning falls at midnight of
Feb. 21.

“The PDP reminds INEC that whenever its administrative pronouncement
conflicts with the Electoral Act, such administrative pronouncement must
bow before the law.”

Ologbondiyan advised INEC to be appropriately guided while directing PDP members to await further directives.