Election: Opposition parties defy INEC, resume campaigns 

Opposition parties in Nigeria on the platform of Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) have defied the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), insisting that they would resume campaigns on Monday.

It would be recalled that at a press conference on Saturday, INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu had announced that  there would be no more room for political campaign or collection of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) despite postponement of elections dates by one week.

Some political commentators have also come to the defence of the INEC boss, saying he gave the directive in other not to heat up the polity.

But in a press statement on Sunday, the CUPP said Yakubu’s pronouncements offend the provisions of the Electoral Act, which stipulates the end to political campaigns, 24 hours to the polls.

To this end, the opposition parties  declared that they would end their campaigns by midnight of Thursday, February 21, a day to the rescheduled February 23 rescheduled Presidential and National Assembly elections.

The statement was signed by CUPP Spokesperson, Ikenga Ugochinyere.

The Coalition consists of 51 of the 91 registered political parties including the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The statement reads: “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(CUPP) hereby directs all members to return to the campaigns fields and recommence campaigns and end by midnight of Thursday 21st February, 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 14th February for Polls that will open on 23rd February. 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,” the statement reads.

It directed members to continue campaigns, focus on voter remobilization and ensure that its adopted presidential candidate and standard bearer of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar is elected and declared winner of the Presidential election.