INEC had on Saturday, February 16, postponed presidential and NASS election by one week – The group said it made decision based on the provision of the law The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has directed over 51 parties in its fold to resume campaign in line with the provisions of Section 99 of the Electoral Act.
Nigerian Tribune reports that the spokesman of the group, Ikenga Ugochinyere, said in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, February 17, that the campaign should end by midnight of Thursday February 21 as required by the law. Legit.ng gathered that citing Section 99(1) of the Electoral Act which provides that public campaigns shall end 24 hours prior to the day of polling, the coalition said it is therefore wrong to expect that political parties would stop campaigns on February 14, for polls that would hold on February 23. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda The statement added: “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. “Member parties are hereby directed to continue campaigns from tomorrow and focus on voter remobilisation and ensure that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is elected and declared the winner of the Presidential election.” The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmoud Yakubu, had during the commission’s meeting with stakeholders in Abuja on Saturday, February 16, maintained that campaign for the presidential election remained closed despite the election postponement. READ ALSO: 2019 election: Ladoja, Agoro call for immediate sack of INEC chairman Yakubu Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Yakubu Mahmood, assured Nigerians that the 2019 general elections would not be postponed for the second time. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We keep evolving to serve our readers better. Nigerians express total disappointment with INEC over election postponement – on Legit TV Read more: https://www.legit.ng/1222446-2019-election-our-members-resume-campaign-election-postponement-cupp.html
