Shun INEC directives, resume campaigns – CUPP

Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) on Sunday asked member parties to shun the directive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and resume campaigns ahead of Saturday’s rescheduled Presidential and National Assembly elections. Chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, had during an interactive session with stakeholders in Abuja last Saturday, said political parties could not resume campaigns despite the postponement of the electio earlier scheduled for February 16. Answering a question raised by a former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, who represented the PDP national chairman at the session, Prof. Yakubu had said since campaigns for the election ended last Thursday, parties could not resume campaigns again. However, CUPP in a statement by its national spokesman, Imo Ugochinyere, on Sunday said Yakubu’s position was unconstitutional. Ugochinyere said the Electoral Act stipulates that campaigns shall end 24 hours prior to the day of election, arguing that since the elections had been shifted to Saturday, political parties are at liberty to resume campaigns till midnight on Thursday. He therefore, asked member parties to resume campaigns from Sunday and mobilise voters for the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. “In view of the provisions of 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 campaign field and recommence campaigns and end by midnight of 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,” CUPP added.