INEC Sets To Ban PDP From Contesting The Feb. 23 Presidential And NASS Elections If…
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, may ban the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from contesting in the Presidential and National Assembly elections, now slated for February 23, 2019.
The ban may come as a result of the decision of the main opposition PDP, to resume its campaign, contrary to INEC directives.
The PDP statement reads:
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, after due consideration of the provision of the Electoral Act, is set to reopen its 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.
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 stipulates 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 elections to February 23, 2019, the 24 hours requirement for closure of all public campaigning, falls at midnight of February 21.
The PDP reminds INEC, that whenever its administrative pronouncement conflicts with the Electoral Act, such administrative pronouncement must bow before the law. The party charges INEC to be appropriately guided, while directing its members to await further directives, ahead of its reopening of campaigns.
Signed:
Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary
And Director, Media & Publicity
PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation
