The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reversed itself to permit the resumption of campaign activities by political parties, ahead of presidential end national assembly elections rescheduled for next February 23.
“In the meanwhile, after consultation with the political parties, the Commission has approved that campaigns by parties and candidates can resume forthwith; to end by midnight of Thursday, 21st February 2019,” according to a statement by INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr. Festus Okoye; directing that campaigns can resume.
Campaigns were put on hold a day before the election scheduled for February 16. However, the election was postponed by INEC, few hours before Nigerians were to cast their ballots. The Commission cited bad weather, logistical issues and sabotage as reasons for the postponement of the election to February 23. INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, after announcing the postponement of the general elections, told stakeholders that political campaigns would remain closed.
But the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, insisted in a party caucus meeting on Monday that the party will continue with its campaign according to the law. He said INEC’s pronouncement in the stakeholders meeting cannot “supercede the provision of the Electoral Act which permits political parties to go on campaign 24 hours to the commencement of the general election.”
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) also faulted INEC’s earlier position on the ban of political campaigns. A statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary said: “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.”
With its new stance on the approval of the resumption of political campaigns, INEC also permitted media houses to “accept, publish, broadcast and circulate campaign material up till midnight of Thursday 21st February 2019.”
The Commission noted that it has worked out detailed and concrete steps to ensure election materials arrive at the polling units on time for the prompt commencement of the polls on Saturday, 23rd February 2019.
INEC begins reconfiguration of smart card readers
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun the reconfiguration of some card readers in different parts of the country after the elections were postponed few hours to its commencement.
INEC postponed the general elections a few hours to the commencement of the presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday, February 16 due to logistics reasons. The presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on February 23 while the governorship and state houses of assembly elections will take place on March 9.
Prior to the postponement of the elections, election materials like smart card reader that have been deployed to various states were already configured for use on the day of the election. However, the postponement of the elections means the smart card readers cannot be effective as they were programmed for the previous date.
INEC on Sunday, February 18, said smart card readers were being reconfigured to align with the new dates of election. The electoral body has also ordered the retrieval of all election materials that had been mobilized to various polling centers for use.
The sensitive election materials have now been deposited at state offices of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) across the federation where they were previously kept. The materials will be remobilized on the rescheduled dates of election.
